So, why morbid tourism? What is dark tourism? Why am I called The Morbid Tourist? First of all, let’s take a look at what morbid tourism actually is.
Dark tourism – also known as morbid tourism, black tourism, thanatourism and even grief tourism – is generally defined as travelling to places associated with death and tragedy. So places like Auschwitz concentration camps, Chernobyl, or, closer to home, sites related to Jack the Ripper.
It’s important to note, however, that being a dark tourist or visiting dark tourism spots doesn’t mean you’re being disrespectful or that you want to re-create pain and suffering! In many cases, the reasons for visiting a dark tourist location is because of historical value or curiosity.
The History of Dark Tourism
The term ‘dark tourism’ was coined in 1996 by Malcolm Foley & J. John Lennon (not that John Lennon), two faculty members at Glasgow Caledonian University. The term thanatourism was also coined the same year, by A. V. Seaton, the Professor of Tourism Marketing at the University of Strathclyde.
But, of course, dark tourism and morbid tourism have been around a lot longer than that. Crowds of people watching public hangings in London in the 16th century are prime examples of this unique type of tourism.
It’s also growing more and more popular each year, with multiple studies into morbid tourism and papers being published all about why people choose to seek out macabre travel experiences.
The phrase has even been broken down further: holocaust tourism refers to visiting destinations connected to the Holocaust in World War II and contains aspects of heritage tourism as well as dark tourism.
Further studies reveal that there may even be a dark tourism spectrum, according to Dr Philip Stone from the University of Central Lancashire!
Other Areas of Morbid Tourism
As well as dark tourism, there are lots of other areas of morbid tourism travel. Let’s break them all down:
Dark Tourism: Travelling to places associated with death and tragedy.
Examples would be Auschwitz, Chernobyl, and Eyam Village (the Plague Village).
Haunted Tourism: Visiting haunted locations and spots associated with hauntings and ghosts. Examples would be Chillingham Castle, Ancient Ram Inn or The Tower of London in the UK.
Legend Tripping: Taking a nocturnal pilgrimage to a site related to supernatural or urban legends. This is far more popular in the US, but some examples would be the Waverly Hills Sanatorium or Bunny Man Bridge. Or my mission to visit all of Britain’s Top 50 Folklore & Superstition locations!
Then, of course, you can break it down even further. Cemetery tourism is also a growing trend (but undoubtedly a sub-category of dark tourism), so much so that people who do this are often dubbed as tombstone tourists!
Dark tourism is such a broad and popular term now too – not all dark tourist sites are necessarily related to death and disaster. I particularly love this quote from Dagney on Cultura Obscura:
So to reiterate, all dark tourism is macabre, but not all macabre tourism is dark tourism.
I think she sums it up perfectly (and much better than I could!).
So What Is a Morbid Tourist?
Simply put, a morbid tourist is someone who seeks out dark destinations and morbid spots – but it doesn’t just have to include dark places related to tragedy. As The Morbid Tourist, I visit places that are spooky in a fun way too! I also think spiritual and historic sites can be related to morbid tourism too.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Tourism
What Are Some Examples of Dark Tourism?
Some of the most famous examples of dark tourism destinations are the Paris Catacombs, Ground Zero in New York and even The London Dungeons (although this is a lighter form of dark tourism).
Which Country Is Famous for Dark Tourism?
The USA, Japan and India are all famous for dark tourism – but I believe the UK is up there too! Famous dark tourism locations in the UK include York (the city of 1,000 ghosts!) or Highgate Cemetery.
Why Do People Visit Dark Tourism?
People visit dark tourism spots for a number of different reasons. Despite the morbid nature of the location, their reasons for visiting are rarely morbid! Personally, I love exploring the history of a place and learning more about what happened there. If it’s a particularly dark site or one related to tragedy, I like to remember those who have lost their lives there. Sometimes it’s to experience something new and sometimes it’s to seek out paranormal activity!
Is dark tourism good or bad?
Some believe that dark tourism can be disrespectful or that it glamourises dark tragedies (for example, the Jack The Ripper Museum has been protested against many times). However, I believe that dark tourism can be harmless, as long as you are respectful of your surroundings and act respectfully too. I also think dark tourism is good – it helps us gain an understanding of dark events and sometimes even our own mortality. Finally, I think that on many occasions, dark tourism helps you to remember victims who have lost their lives and I think that’s really, really important too.