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We all crave a change of scenery every now and then, whether it's to discover new destinations or revisit familiar places that hold cherished memories. Whether seeking relaxation, adventure, or the chance to experience a different culture, traveling undoubtedly enhances our lives.
But for some, the allure of travel takes them to an entirely different kind of escape—one that may involve venturing near warzones or visiting the sites of recent tragedies. Dark Tourism has been a part of our travel culture for centuries and shows no signs of fading away anytime soon.
10. It’s Been Around for Over a Century (at Least!)
Though it may seem like dark tourism is a modern trend, it actually dates back over a hundred years. In Dark Folklore, Mark and Tracey Norman provide evidence of this, recounting how wealthy individuals in the late 1800s would visit areas like Whitechapel in London's East End, where the notorious Jack the Ripper murders took place. These trips were often motivated by a fascination with the poverty-stricken lives of the masses. Similar excursions occurred in New York's Manhattan at the same time.
As we explore the following points, it becomes clear that dark tourism branches out in numerous ways, each catering to personal interests. The main takeaway is that no matter what type of dark destination appeals to you, there is always a way to visit it. This also highlights a long-standing interest, especially within the wealthy circles, in visiting places of a darker nature.
9. Battlefields and War Sites
Some of the earliest instances of war tourism can be traced back to the 1860s. At that time, many affluent individuals would purchase tickets to have a picnic near the American Civil War battlefields. Even more intriguing is the fact that some of these wealthy tourists pooled their resources to buy land where significant battles had taken place, planning to offer tours of these sites after the war concluded—a plan that many successfully carried out.
Mark and Tracey Norman, as mentioned earlier, have documented even earlier examples of war tourism. As far back as 1815, many members of the nobility paid substantial sums to dine while watching the Battle of Waterloo unfold before them.
Arguably the most peculiar aspect—at least from a modern perspective—are the tours organized by Thomas Cook. For a fee, the company would escort people to the battlefields of the Second Boer War. Interestingly, the same company also offered what we would now recognize as “bus trips” to public executions during the same period.
8. A Hidden Tour of the Slums
Numerous modern examples of what is commonly known as slum tourism emerged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Gaining significant underground popularity in the 1990s and 2000s, many travelers flocked to impoverished regions in Brazil, India, and South Africa.
The South African slum tours are particularly ironic, as their origins trace back to an official program designed to educate white South Africans about the living conditions of the black population. By the 1990s, people from all over the world also sought to join these tours. While initially aimed at education, a more unsettling aspect gradually emerged, with many participants appearing to view these experiences solely as a spectacle.
Throughout the 21st century, cities around the globe with well-known impoverished areas have seen an increase in slum tourism. However, there is a distinct branch of dark tourism that seems to be growing in popularity, which we will now focus on.
7. The Allure of Disaster Sites
One distinct niche within dark tourism is the appeal, for some, of visiting locations that have recently been struck by some form of disaster. While these tours are entirely legal, a prime example is the tours to Pripyat in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster.
In more recent years, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, numerous companies offered tours through the flood-damaged areas. What made these tours even more controversial, beyond the moral implications, was the fact that many critics argued they hindered recovery efforts and programs.
The reality is that wherever disaster strikes—whether natural or man-made, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill—there are those willing to pay handsomely to witness the aftermath firsthand. With ongoing events such as floods, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions, these types of destinations are only likely to multiply.
6. People Participate Without Even Knowing It
In many respects, it can be argued that countless people engage in dark tourism without even realizing it. A clear example is the millions who visit Auschwitz in Poland or the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Both locations carry heavy historical significance and a tragic past. While their visits are essential for educational purposes, each can certainly be classified as a form of dark tourism.
Another notable example is the array of locations throughout the former Soviet Union, especially those tied directly to the Cold War, such as abandoned military installations. Some even argue that trips to Venice, Italy, could be considered a form of dark tourism, specifically doom tourism, as it is widely anticipated that Venice will eventually sink beneath the sea in the future.
These types of tourist excursions can be viewed as having an educational aspect. Perhaps, in that sense, dark tourism does have a certain value. We will revisit this idea a bit later in our list. However, next, we’ll explore one of the most popular dark tourist destinations of recent years.
5. The Golan Heights Tourists
One of the most striking examples of dark tourism is the organized tours to the Golan Heights along the Israeli-Syrian border. Visitors to this area often arrive equipped with binoculars and cameras, eager to catch a glimpse of smoke and even violence.
Retired Israel Defense Forces Colonel Kobi Marom is one of the guides leading these somber expeditions. In a 2014 interview with The Atlantic, Marom explained that these tourists “gaze down on Syria’s bloodletting.” He recounted an instance during a particularly brutal battle, when rebels overtook a United Nations checkpoint, and many tourists gathered to watch the bloodshed from the safety of the buffer zone, “gaping down at the action below.”
The tours to the edge of conflict zones today are very much in the same vein as those seen in the 1860s at the American Civil War battlefields. The Golan Heights is far from being the only example of such locations in the modern world, as we will explore in the next section.
4. It’s Ongoing—In So Many Ways!
As highlighted by several of our previous points, dark tourism remains a prominent and thriving phenomenon in the 21st century. Furthermore, as we’ve seen, while some dark destinations have been explored, there is a growing number of grim locations that tourists are increasingly eager to pay to witness as the 2000s progress.
For instance, many travelers make pilgrimages to sites where cults have operated, or to homes that were once inhabited by notorious serial killers during their reign of terror. There are even abandoned medical facilities, some still holding jars with human remains, that attract visitors seeking the macabre.
In short, if a place has a dark or sinister reputation, there is no shortage of people who would eagerly seek it out. And for those offering these tours, there is, and will continue to be, plenty of profit to be made.
3. Virtual Dark Tourism
One could argue that virtual tours of areas impacted by tragedies might have some positive aspects. For instance, they could serve as a way to generate funds by allowing people to witness the suffering firsthand. Additionally, these virtual tours could potentially function as valuable educational tools.
However, whether virtual tours of this nature will become widely available in the near future remains uncertain.
2. A Strange Need for It?
Is it possible that dark tourism fulfills not just a fascination but a deeper need to visit these locations? Locations like Auschwitz and the Anne Frank House provide a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II. Many would agree that the horrors of the Holocaust should never be forgotten, and experiencing these places firsthand is a critical way to ensure that memory endures.
However, there are countless other places across the globe that could serve as valuable educational experiences. Locations that have suffered from environmental catastrophes, for instance, could highlight the potential outcomes of our collective actions. Sites like the Chernobyl plant and its surrounding areas are examples of places that could serve this educational purpose.
If dark tourism continues to evolve, whether for better or worse, there is one area where its growth is almost guaranteed. This leads us to our final point of focus.
1. A Future of Many Dark Locations Available
Considering the previous point, one might speculate that the future of dark tourism could be rather grim—though perhaps not surprising. With tragedies and disasters unfolding across the globe at any given moment, there is no shortage of potential destinations. Could we soon see tourism in places like Afghanistan or Ukraine after their conflicts have subsided? It's quite possible.
In summary, places of genocide, mass killings, severe conflicts, and both man-made and natural disasters are plentiful. These are all locations some might feel compelled to visit. And as technology makes the world feel smaller, the methods for delivering these somber journeys are only bound to expand and diversify.
Before we dive into the potential future of dark tourism as we move further into the 2020s, let's revisit an earlier point—that there might be a positive aspect to these somber vacations.
