Mankind has been fascinated with and drawn to the macabre for many years. This is particularly evident in the growing popularity of dark tourism, which centers on locations known for death and suffering. Virtual Traumascapes and Exploring the Roots of Dark Tourism is a pivotal reference source featuring the latest scholarly research in which the rise of new technology platforms is not only changing tourism worldwide, but also facilitating the access to areas of war, mourning, and disaster. Including coverage on a number of topics such as sexual tourism, disaster recovery, and capitalism, this publication is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on concepts and methodologies of the dark tourism industry.

This book facilitates a critical investigation of gaps in theorizing and framing dark tourism by navigating through some onto-epistemological issues, theoretical entanglements, future possibilities, and the application of critical theoretical perspectives related to affect and emotions, human-animal studies, postcolonialism, feminism, trauma studies, posthumanism, power and identity. In doing so, it advances the need to connect critical theory, pragmatism and contemporary issues of social and global relevance. "Given the growing body of critical research within tourism studies, dark tourism has somewhat lagged behind. For example, critical tourism researchers have been examining postcolonialism for two decades, but dark tourism research has only sporadically engaged with this topic. Similarly, the issue of gender has been curiously neglected within dark tourism. In addition, dark tourism research has tended to shy away from the ‘big’ challenges facing contemporary societies. Through its engagement with a range of critical theories, this volume not only addresses gaps in the existing dark tourism literature but also moves the debate forward in exciting new directions. This volume is well-placed to demonstrate to other disciplines and fields that dark tourism research can be critical, theoretically grounded, and transformative." – Duncan Light

In recent years there has been a growth in both the practice and research of dark tourism; the phenomenon of visiting sites of tragedy or disaster. Expanding on this trend, this book examines dark tourism through the new lens of pilgrimage. It focuses on dark tourism sites as pilgrimage destinations, dark tourists as pilgrims, and pilgrimage as a form of dark tourism. Taking a broad definition of pilgrimage so as to consider aspects of both religious and non-religious travel that might be considered pilgrimage-like, it covers theories and histories of dark tourism and pilgrimage, pilgrimage to dark tourism sites, and experience design. A key resource for researchers and students of heritage, tourism and pilgrimage, this book will also be of great interest to those studying anthropology, religious studies and related social science subjects.

International tourism has been a target for terrorist agents seeking to cause political instability and economic disruption in the West. This book lays the foundations of a new understanding of tourism security by discussing the nature of tourism, tourists, and terrorists.

This book provides original, innovative, and international tourism research that is embedded in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary theoretical and methodological thought in the study of dark tourism. It is almost 25 years since the idea of dark tourism was introduced and presented into the field of tourism studies. The impact of this idea was greater, which attracted a great deal of attention from different researchers and practitioners with a good range of disciplines and farther tourism studies. This edited volume aims to capture a glimpse of the types of cutting-edge thinking and academic research in the domain of dark tourism studies as well as encourage and advance theoretical, conceptual, and empirical research on dark tourism. The book also addresses several future research directions focusing on the experience and emotions of visitors at ‘dark tourism’ sites. This book will be valuable reading for students, researchers and academics interested in dark tourism. Other interested stakeholders including those in the tourism industry, government bodies and community groups will also find this volume relevant. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Heritage Tourism.

Tourism and Heritage in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) uses an ethnographic lens to explore the dissonances associated with the commodification of Chornobyl’s heritage. The book considers the role of the guides as experience brokers, focusing on the synergy between tourists and guides in the performance of heritage interpretation. Banaszkiewicz proposes to perceive tour guides as important actors in the bottom-up construction of heritage discourse contributing to more inclusive and participatory approach to heritage management. Demonstrating that the CEZ has been going through a dynamic transformation into a mass tourism attraction, the book offers a critical reflection on heritagisation as a meaning-making process in which the resources of the past are interpreted, negotiated, and recognised as a valuable legacy. Applying the concepts of dissonant heritage to describe the heterogeneous character of the CEZ, the book broadens the interpretative scope of dark tourism which takes on a new dimension in the context of the war in Ukraine. Tourism and Heritage in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone argues that post-disaster sites such as Chornobyl can teach us a great deal about the importance of preserving cultural and natural heritage for future generations. The book will be of interest to academics and students who are engaged in the study of heritage, tourism, memory, disasters and Eastern Europe.

Post-disaster and post-conflict tourism has recently emerged as a prominent topic of research and considers new risks that jeopardize tourism travel to destinations that have recently experienced climate-related disasters, civil conflicts, and other challenges. This volume presents a host of innovative strategies that could be adopted by post-colonial, post-conflict, and post-disaster destinations to encourage travel and tourism in these areas. Policymakers are focusing their efforts on identifying and eradicating external and/or internal risks in order to protect the tourism industry in their regions, in line with a new spirit that is clearly orientated toward mitigating risks. This capacity of adaptation suggests two important things that are at the heart of this book. On the one hand, tourism serves as a resilient mechanism that is helping destinations in their recovery strategy. On another hand, this raises ethical issues related to tourism consumption.

Pilgrimage tourism is one of the basic areas with far-reaching impacts in the travel and tourism industry around the world and across generations. Due to its reach and potential impact, further study is required. Prospects and Challenges of Global Pilgrimage Tourism and Hospitality considers the changing facts and facets of pilgrimage tourism around the world; develops pilgrimage tourism for community integration, faith-sharing, perseverance, tolerance, and peace; and identifies new issues scopes, challenges, and entrepreneurial opportunities for pilgrimage tourism that are relevant and important for future pilgrimages with larger intensity and frequency. Covering key topics such as pilgrimage economy, social media, and tourism, this premier reference source is ideal for policymakers, social scientists, managers, business owners, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

The marketing of a destination necessitates strategic planning, decision making, and organization. Effective positioning will result in a strong brand that develops an emotional and productive two-way relationship. Notwithstanding, destination managers should possess relevant knowledge and understanding on traditional and contemporary marketing channels to better engage with prospective visitors. Destination Management and Marketing: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice focuses on utilizing destination branding and content marketing for sustainable growth and competitive advantage within the tourism and hospitality industry, including tools and techniques for travel branding and best practices for better tourism management strategies. Highlighting a range of topics such as service quality, sustainable tourism, and competitiveness model, this publication is an ideal reference source for government officials, travel agencies, advertisers, marketers, tour directors, hotel managers, restaurateurs, industry professionals including those within the hotel, leisure, transportation, and theme park sectors, policymakers, practitioners, academicians, researchers, and students.

Global Perspectives on Human Rights and the Impact of Tourism Consumption in the 21st Century is an essential reference book for those concerned with the interaction between tourism consumption, social justice, and human rights. With chapters covering topics such as human trafficking, geospatial discrimination, gentrification theory, violence, racism, child sex tourism, and the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and human rights, this book presents a rich conceptual debate on the impact of tourism consumption on human rights. It also provides practical solutions to promote sustainable tourism practices that respect and protect human rights, highlighting successful case studies where tourism has positively contributed to human rights. The book emphasizes that human rights violations in the tourism industry can no longer be ignored, and it's our responsibility to take action to ensure that tourism practices respect and protect the fundamental rights of all individuals involved. By implementing the solutions provided in this book, we can work together to promote sustainable tourism practices that benefit everyone involved and create a more equitable and just world. In conclusion, this book is a must-read for those concerned with promoting social justice, human rights, and sustainable tourism practices.