Dark Tourism, defined as the act of travel to sites related to death, disaster or the seemingly macabre, as a field of study in Tourism, has been attracting a lot of interest from scholars, the media and public since the term was coined in 1996 by Professors John Lennon and Malcolm Foley. This Unit explores current Dark Tourism theory and also apply these theories to the Maltese touristic landscape and understand what Malta has to offer in this particular niche. This target of this Unit will be to have students understand the different theories underpinning Dark Tourism both from a Supply and a demand perspective. It will explore the motivational aspect of Dark Tourism and understand the ethical considerations underpinning dark tourism.
The Unit will cover issues concerning Dark Tourism terminology and history; Dark Tourism supply and branding; and Dark Tourism demand and motivation. Moreover, the ethical aspect of Dark Tourism and Dissonant Heritage will be considered. Furthermore, this Unit will apply issues from the field of Dark Tourism to the Maltese context.
Main Reading List
- Hooper, G. & Lennon, J. (2016); Dark Tourism: Practice and interpretation; Routledge, Abington Oxon & New York.
- Lennon, J. & Foley, M. (2000); Dark Tourism – The attraction of death and disaster; Continuum, London.
- Sharpley, R. & Stone, P. (2009); The darker side of travel: the theory and practice of dark tourism; Channel view, Bristol.
- Johnston, T. & Mandelartz, P. (2016); Thanatourism: Case Studies in Travel to the Dark Side; Goodfellow Publishers Ltd, Oxford UK.
