The Ecological Aspects of Dark Tourism

Abstract

Tourism generally traces its roots back to the seventeenth century with the grand tours of aristocrats. Today, it impacts all societies. It is hailed as a tool for development and economic diversification, while some denounce it as a new form of colonialism. Tourism is also a local and national political issue, as well as a crucial factor in globalization. Tourism varies according to its theme; it may be recreational, cultural, religious, sports, therapeutic, adventure tourism, or even environmental tourism, focusing on nature, protected areas, and the discovery of biodiversity. However, since the mid-1990s, a modern concept of tourism emerged — dark tourism — which refers to a tourism style centered around visiting places of tragic significance or associated with death, suffering, or natural disasters. Since the late twentieth century, this type of tourism has attracted increasing interest from researchers and academics, due to technological advancements and the digital transformation, which has contributed to the rapid circulation of news and increased people's curiosity about these sites, which bear stories of death, suffering, and devastation. Places and environments that have witnessed environmental disasters or traumatic events that have caused the most severe forms of environmental degradation are a feature of dark tourism. These areas highlight the effects of excessive human activity and revive the painful feelings of witnessing the tragedies of environmental destruction, thus renewing the commitment to the necessity of preserving and protecting the components of the ecosystem. Through this scientific contribution, we attempt to understand and define the ecological aspects of dark tourism by reviewing tragic environmental incidents, identifying the motivations of tourists to visit areas of degradation and devastation, and finally, identifying the various impacts or repercussions that dark tourism can have within its ecological context.