Dark Tourism  | Course | Masterclass by Dr Prem

Death Tourism (Dark Tourism)

Dark tourism or death tourism is a new thought in the field of tourism bordering on the macabre. It is connected with taking a trip to places historically notorious for their involvement in death, slaughter and grief. Dark tourism also termed as thanatourism is coined from the Greek word thanatos meaning death incarnate! Lots of gore and bloodshed witnessed in the past makes these places infamous drawing millions of tourists to witness the remains of disaster and carnage leading to intense anguish. Historical significance of dark tourism is immense. If we turn back through the pages of history gladiatorial combats and fight till death is a popular source of public entertainment. Able bodied men were put against hungry beasts firing the enthusiasm of gathering crowd of spectators occupying the Roman amphitheaters. A sadistic pleasure ruled the minds of visitors witnessing the gruesome spectacle where the darker side of human mind is manifested. Thanatourism is a subject of study among research scholars as to what exactly lures us to sites blemished with genocides and catastrophe in its most garishly form. The infamous thanatourism sites include the killing fields of Vietnam, the ground Zero in New York, Hiroshima peace Memorial park and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site to name only a few.