Exploiting Tragedy for Tourism

Abstract

People by nature are travelers, if need be, one likes to travel to great distances just see the unknown. This has been our nature for thousands of years. Earlier if was due to the need of shelter, food and protection, and today the need is leisure and to be away for short intervals to escape from the daily hum-drums of the monotony of life. Tourism industry thrives on this human nature. People from time-to-time have opted for different kind of adrenaline rushes to keep their cave-man craving at the behest. And the one of latest in this is “Dark Tourism”. By definition purpose, it means travelling to a location wholly, or partially, motivated by the desire for actual or symbolic encounters with death, particularly, but not exclusively, violent death, which may, to a varying degree be activated by the person-specific features of those whose deaths are its focal objects.” The phenomenon raises ethical issues over the status and nature of objects, the extent of their interpretation, the appropriate political and managerial response and the nature of the experience as perceived by the visitor, their residents and local residents. Events, sites, types of visit and 'host' reactions are considered in order to construct the parameters of the concept of 'dark tourism'. Many acts of inhumanity are celebrated as heritage sites in Britain (for example, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle), and the Berlin Wall has become a significant attraction despite claiming many victims. India is slowly catching up on this global phenomenon. We still have a long way to go, but there is a start. This paper is a generalized outlook on a personal note on what is being done so far and what options are there available and where we stand as of now.

Key Words: Tourism, Indian Tourism, Death, Dark Tourism, Thana-Tourism, History, Travel