Dark Tourism Travel: The Allure of Death and Disaster

Dark tourism, also known as death tourism, morbid tourism or disaster tourism, has been on the rise in recent years. The allure of death and disaster has led many travellers to seek dark tourist destinations with a dark past, from haunted sites to places of tragedy. In fact, many of us have participated in this kind of tourism without even realizing it. It’s a style of travel that is both intriguing and thought-provoking.

Despite the catchy name, the term dark tourism is not just a passing new phenomenon. In fact, people have been travelling to places of death and destruction for many different reasons throughout centuries. So what exactly is it, and what makes dark tourism so popular? Let’s look at the history behind the trend and some of the most popular dark tourist attractions for those seeking to explore this macabre niche.

Affiliate Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission. This doesn’t affect your purchases or any fees you may pay for the product or service. Read more in my DISCLAIMER.

Dark tourism: Morbid curiosity or historical interest?

Wikipedia defines dark tourism as “travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.” Some people do this without giving it much thought, and they have been doing so for centuries. Others seek to find a connection to the darkest events of human history and venture to places of tragedy and sadness for a whole list of reasons.

There is a human need to understand the past and our dark history. Unfortunately, places associated with gruesome deaths and atrocities provide that opportunity. We visit sites of death and sorrow for various reasons. Whether consciously planning it or not, the motivations are very similar.

Many seek out such places to understand the past and pay respects to those who lost their lives. These places show us a glimpse into the darkness as well as the perseverance of the human soul. Is it a fun and carefree experience? Definitely not, but neither is life.

There are many negative connotations associated with dark tourism. Some view it as perverse or inappropriate, and others don’t understand the appeal. However, dark tourism is not about people taking smiling selfies while visiting a Nazi concentration camp, for example. There is a poignant element lesson there that can transform you into a more conscious and open-minded traveller.

Different types of dark tourism

Despite what we might imagine, there are many different elements that categorize dark tourism. There are several loose definitions, including disasters and human tragedies. I’ve grouped them into sub-categories with a particular theme or association. Remember that these can be further broken down, depending on how specific you want to get.

Natural and man-made disaster sites

The power of nature can inspire awe in all of us.  It can destroy cities and lives in seconds, changing landscapes and history.  When we make a mess, intentional or otherwise, nature has a way of taking over. Think of places like Fukushima, the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone or Pompeii. All show us how fast life can change due to human error or the unforgiving power of Mother Nature.

These types of places draw us because they make us question our mortality. We relate to the people going on about their daily lives, unaware of a natural disaster lurking around the corner. We can imagine the fear, panic, and desperation of their last moments, and we feel for them. Understanding these unfortunate events also provides us with tools that help us better prevent and predict similar disasters. 

Resting places of the dead

A visit to the cemetery might not seem like a touristy thing to do, but for many people, cemeteries rank high on their must-see list of attractions. Resting places, especially the famous or the infamous, fall under dark tourism and have been popular for generations. People have been glorifying their dead since the beginning of time, so it’s no wonder we are drawn to famous graves, monuments, shrines, catacombs and cemeteries.

One of the most famed cemeteries in Paris, Pere Lachaise, is home to many famous residents who attract curious visitors. Like Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison, some graves had barriers installed to protect them from damage caused by eager visitors. Some come to show respect, others to feel closer to their idols, and some do it for kicks. The intent sometimes becomes a blurred line.

Monuments like the Pantheon, Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic, Paris catacombs and the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin have become popular tourist destinations. They provide a real connection to the past and the people who left their mark on history.

Sites of atrocities, massacres, terrorism

Places associated with ethnic cleansing and mass deaths are also making the list of dark tourism sites that visitors flock to in huge numbers. Visiting battlefields, mass executions, and genocide sites can be educational and commemorative. It also evokes many feelings in us, including anger and sorrow toward the perpetrators and their victims. It allows us to grieve for those who lost their lives in such tragic circumstances and pay our respects.

The Choeung Ek Cambodian killing fields near Phnom Penh or the 911 Memorial at the site of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are just some places that fall into this category. We easily identify with them, and for many, they are still very fresh in their minds. While you might not automatically think the same about the Roman Colosseum in Rome, it, too, has been the site of mass executions. Many human and animal lives were lost here for the entertainment and pleasure of others. Judging by the number of visitors each year, the Colosseum’s dark past hasn’t dampened its appeal. 

Tours to explore:

Half Day To Killing Field & S21 Genocidal Museum

From Mexico City: Day of the Dead Tour in San Andres Míxquic

NYC: 9/11 Memorial Tour and Museum Ticket Priority Entry

Places of torture, persecution and confinement

While Alcatraz prisoners spent their days dreaming of lost freedom, today, the infamous prison is a tourist attraction where people pay money to visit. Once a fear-inducing landmark, the Tower of London is now a tourist attraction for crowds flocking to the city. Once an infamous prison, Toronto’s own Don Jail is now an administrative office that offers visitors access to the former jail cells and areas during the annual Doors Open Toronto.

Once meant to confine and punish, these places have acquired an element of entertainment that sometimes loses the historical significance of what happened there and the many lives lost in the process. Many people often visiting these sites don’t think of them as places where death and punishment were a common occurrence and were feared by many.

It’s a different story for places like the Auschwitz concentration camp, where the reminders of past atrocities are still evident today. The reality of the horrors that occurred here is inescapable. They are reminders of a dark past and hope for the future. Judging by the increasing numbers of visitors arriving through the gates each year, that isn’t stopping people from visiting.  While many visit these dark places to pay respect to those who perished, many others come because of a personal connection – it’s a place where distant relatives died or were imprisoned.

Tours to explore:

From Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau Guided Tour & Pickup

San Francisco: Alcatraz Island Prison Tour with Bay Cruise

Paris Catacombs: VIP Skip-the-Line Restricted Access Tour

Sensational sites

There is something about famous people’s lives and deaths that fascinates us. Where they lived and died often becomes a destination for fans across generations. Think of JFK’s assassination, the shooting of John Lennon, Gianni Versace or even the site of Princess Diana’s car crash. Each place has become an important thread in the fabric of today’s society. Maybe it’s not something that automatically comes to mind when you think of dark tourism, but it’s precisely that.

Hollywood tours of dead celebrity homes, former estates of dictators, drug dealers, and other notorious figures attract huge numbers of visitors. They become just another element in the long list of dark tourism attractions. More so than anything else, curiosity is probably one of the strongest reasons for visiting these types of places. After all, the best way to understand the past is to walk in the footsteps of those who shaped it.

Some cities draw visitors because they are home to notorious characters, serial killers, murderers and tragic deaths. From ghost tours to visiting homes and hunting grounds of murderers and thieves, dark tourism is bringing visitors looking for a thrill and adventure. While you might think of that as entertainment, it’s just another side of being a dark tourist.

Dark exhibitions

Dark exhibitions have been attracting people for centuries. They often intend to educate, commemorate and honour the death and suffering. In the past, however, they mainly aimed to satisfy curiosity and provide shock value. Our ancestors were drawn to the macabre, from shrunken heads and Egyptian mummies to displaying “oddities” at fairs. 

Today, dark exhibitions are usually temporary and travel to different locations. The subjects are endless, from visuals documenting events or human conditions to objects from significant sights or focusing on specific people. Some topics still spark controversy and debate, proving that not all of us agree on the matter.

You might recall the Body Worlds exhibition, which has been touring the world since 1995. It offers visitors an opportunity to see the human body under the skin and aims to educate people about human bodies and the health effects of different lifestyles. The exhibition caused a stir when it came out. Seeing human specimens arranged in different anatomical poses didn’t go well with everyone, but the overall takeaway was positive.

Experiential/Risk tourism

This category is the most niche of all types of dark tourism. Visiting active war zones, slums and other dangerous areas for the experience appears to be a sub-group of its own. The hazardous risks aside, this type of travel has a voyeuristic element that doesn’t sit well. In Brazil, you’ll find many tours that take visitors through the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Unlike visiting places dedicated to the dead, you deal with real people whose lives are on display for someone else’s entertainment.

Are we learning and expanding our views, or are we just making ourselves feel better about our lives?  This seems to be the dilemma when visiting a dark tourist attraction. Are these tours helpful to the locals, or do they completely exploit them?

While illegal border crossings by undocumented immigrants are a genuine element of people’s lives today, you, too, can go through the experience. What does paying for a simulated border Mexico/USA crossing experience say about you? Some argue it provides an insight into the desperate plight of people looking for better lives. To others, it undermines a dangerous and emotional reality many face daily. 

Discovering the Macabre: history of dark tourism

Dark tourism might be the latest catchphrase, but the concept isn’t new. Our fascination with death and murder has existed since the beginning of time. When death, especially by violent means, was a common occurrence, it also made it acceptable for entertainment in places like ancient Rome, for example.

The Romans, famous for obliterating those who got in their way, celebrated victories with others’ deaths. Victorious generals returning home often brought the riches stolen from those they conquered. They also often brought slaves and paraded them in front of cheering crowds.

People would travel from nearby towns to partake in celebrations or attend spectacles held at the Colosseum and other Roman theatres. They came to see death and murder, and they were early dark tourists before that was even a concept.

During the Middle Ages, public executions were an early form of dark tourism.  Held in the local town square, executions were often another form of entertainment for the masses. Whole families would travel from nearby towns to witness public hangings, beheadings and other forms of punishment deemed to fit the crime.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, asylum tourism flourished in Britain. Bedlam, London’s first mental hospital, became an entertainment source for the ghoulish public, who laughed, pointed, and mocked the mentally ill. Not only were the conditions of the patients deplorable, but the visiting public often exploited them as well. As institutions for the mentally ill were improved in later years, people were encouraged to admire the architecture and design as part of their visit.

The psychology behind dark tourism: why we’re intrigued

As mentioned before, there are many different motivations behind dark tourism. As the conversations around the subject evolve, so does the understanding of why we do it. Understanding dark tourism allows us to determine why it is appealing.

It’s not a new concept but an evolving one. I saw a movie called Thrill Seekers long ago, and it has always stuck in my head. The movie is about a reporter who comes across a strange man who has appeared at various disaster sites over many years.

Through a series of events, he uncovers that the man is from the future, where a company – Thrill Seekers – offers travellers an opportunity to travel back in time to various catastrophes right before they happen. You can stroll on the deck of the Titanic before it hits the iceberg or enjoy a flight before everyone onboard dies in a fiery crash, all the time being able to leave just in time to avoid your death. 

As dark tourism and technology evolve, such a scenario is plausible. However, ethics seem to be another issue associated with this type of travel.

Ethics around dark tourism

We must learn about our past, honour the lives lost and pay respects to the dead. The contention concerns why we do this and how the visitors’ funds are used. Many places use the funds for maintenance and staff costs, which is reasonable when you consider the sheer size of some of these places. Is this the case with the favela tours? What about the illegal border crossing experience? It’s hard to say.

Recommended reading:

• How ‘dark tourism’ can pass on the lessons of past tragedies
• How “Dark Tourism” Warps Our Understanding of History
• Atlas Obscura: The definition of dark tourism

Most people visit dark places to pay their respects. As history shows, people have done it in the past for entertainment. Many today do it for the thrills (war zones might come to mind). While we might question others’ motivations, it’s important to understand why we do it ourselves.

I’ve visited the Tower of London, walked the streets of Pompeii, and many other places associated with death and suffering. I’ve felt sorrow for those who died there, their pain and suffering. At the same time, I think I’ve grown as a person, and that experience has allowed me to look at the world around me with different eyes. 

Why we’re drawn to tragedy

I think dark tourism has always been popular, but nobody really talked about it. There wasn’t a name for it until recently. As we look into the past, we can identify the elements before we knew what to call them. Today, easier access to historical sites and the availability of tours contribute to the rise of dark tourism, as more places seem eager to capitalize on their dark past. There will always be a question of whether this is respecting the dead or exploiting their memories. The answer lies with us, how we act and where we spend our money as travellers.

Dark tourism research and studies

The academic study of dark tourism has been growing steadily, with researchers from institutions like Glasgow Caledonian University leading the way in exploring this complex field. Professor Malcolm Foley, a notable figure in dark tourism research, has contributed significantly to our understanding of why people are drawn to visit dark tourist sights and how these experiences affect them.

Dark tourism research delves into various aspects, from the psychological motivations behind this kind of tourism to the ethical implications of visiting sites associated with tragedy and suffering. Studies often examine how dark tourist attractions, such as the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, and the Choeung Ek killing fields, are presented to the public and their impact on visitors.

Researchers are also interested in how social media influences dark tourism. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook can both promote awareness of dark tourist sites and contribute to the sensationalism of these locations. The balance between educating visitors non-sensationalistically and respecting the memory of tragic events is a key focus area in contemporary research.

Another area of interest is how tour operators and travel agencies market dark tourism destinations. As an increasing number of people seek to understand the darker side of history, knowledgeable local guides’ role becomes crucial in providing context and ensuring respectful engagement with these sites.

Additionally, dark tourism studies often explore specific genres within the field, such as nuclear tourism at the Chornobyl exclusion zone or grief tourism to places like the Grenfell Tower in London. These studies aim to understand the unique appeal of different dark tourism experiences and the factors that drive people to visit these historically and emotionally charged sites.

As the field continues to evolve, researchers are looking into the implications of more accessible access to previously remote dark tourism locations. They examine how climate change makes specific sites, such as those affected by natural disasters, more accessible to tourists. Meanwhile, we, too, need to consider how we visit these sites respectfully.