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Uso y abuso del turismo oscuro como paradigma. ¿Un concepto saturado?

November 2021
revista PH

DOI:10.33349/2022.105.5033

Authors:

University of Barcelona

El turismo oscuro como paradigma analítico ha recibido en las dos últimas décadas un enorme protagonismo tanto en los ámbitos académicos como en la esfera mediática. Su uso se ha consolidado, en mayor o menor medida, en todas las latitudes y escuelas teóricas vinculadas a los estudios turísticos. La idiosincrasia extremadamente genérica del propio concepto de turismo oscuro ha generado, no obstante, debate sobre la idoneidad del mismo como paradigma para el análisis de muchas de las prácticas turísticas desarrolladas en lugares vinculados a la muerte o la tragedia. Ante lo que puede aparentar una cierta saturación sobre el uso del concepto dark tourism y su utilidad para el avance científico, habrá que observar su evolución a partir de las líneas de investigación desarrolladas en los próximos años.

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176

Interpretación y gestión del patrimonio en los espacios del turismo oscuro

coordinan Óscar Navajas Corral y Maribel Rodríguez Achútegui

debate

105

revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 176-178 | DEBATEDEBATE | revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 176-178

Uso y abuso del turismo oscuro como paradigma. ¿Un

concepto saturado?

David González Vázquez | Observatorio Europeo de Memorias, Universitat de Barcelona

URL de la contribución <www.iaph.es/revistaph/index.php/revistaph/article/view/5033>

Pocas modalidades de turismo han recibido tanta aten-

ción en las últimas dos décadas como el llamado turismo

oscuro, una categoría asociada genéricamente a la prác-

tica turística en lugares relacionados con la muerte, la

tragedia y lo macabro. Una atención promovida desde

la esfera académica cuya proyección ha convertido al

turismo oscuro, también, en un claro protagonista de los

focos mediáticos. Literatura, prensa, teatro, televisión y

plataformas digitales de entretenimiento han sido partici-

pes de la consolidación de un fenómeno que sobrepasa,

como decíamos, el ámbito académico.

Semejante impacto e implantación pueden suponer un

problema a la hora de establecer los límites conceptua-

les de un modelo cuya idiosincrasia le permite ser apli-

cado en una innidad de casos concretos. Desde una

recreación kitsch a la experiencia educativa en un anti-

guo campo de concentración, todo es susceptible de ser

analizado bajo el paradigma del turismo oscuro. Así lo

plasmaba, de hecho, Phillip Stone (2006) en su arcaico

y sobreexplotado Dark tourism Spectrum. Otros auto-

res de referencia, como Sharpley (2009, 6), apuntan que

“the meaning of the term has become increasingly diluted

and fuzzy”, mientras que algunas de las últimas investi-

gaciones ponen el foco en la complejidad conceptual del

fenómeno. Así, Light (2017) y González Vázquez (2018)

han concluido en reconocer al turismo oscuro como una

suerte de categoría paraguas donde todo cabe, siempre

y cuando tenga una mínima vinculación con sus elemen-

tos denitorios básicos, lo cual conlleva una enorme di-

cultad a la hora de establecer los límites estructurales

del fenómeno.

Una complejidad a la hora de identicar unas determina-

das prácticas con uno u otro modelo que surge ya en los

inicios de la propia conceptualización del turismo oscuro,

tarea que corrió a cargo de los académicos británicos

Malcolm Foley y John Lennon a mediados de los años

90 del siglo XX. Así, en un número monográco de la

revista International Journal of Heritage Studies, presen-

taron ocialmente el concepto de Dark Tourism (Foley

y Lennon, 1996a, 1996b), a la par que, el también bri-

tánico, Anthony Seaton hacía lo propio con el concepto

cuyo vocablo español es conocido como tanatoturismo

–Thanatourism– (Seaton 1996). Pese a que el espec-

tro analítico de ambas modalidades es similar, se distin-

gue a Thanatourism de Dark Tourism en que la primera

aplica en casos única y exclusivamente relacionados

con la muerte, mientras que la segunda abarca prácti-

cas más genéricas vinculadas a la tragedia. Aunque en

principio pueda parecer una diferencia notable, ha exis-

tido siempre cierta confusión entre ambos conceptos y

Entrada al Museo Memorial de Auschwitz-Birkenau, 2017 | foto todas las

imágenes que ilustran esta contribución son de David González Vázquez

177

Interpretación y gestión del patrimonio en los espacios del turismo oscuro

coordinan Óscar Navajas Corral y Maribel Rodríguez Achútegui

_a debate Interpretación y gestión del patrimonio en los espacios del turismo oscuro

| coordinan Óscar Navajas Corral y Maribel Rodríguez Achútegui

debate

revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 176-178 | DEBATEDEBATE | revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 176-178

han sido utilizados generalmente de manera indistinta. A

tal respecto, no es extraño que Philip Stone (2013, 310)

dena al tanatoturismo como un “scholarly sister term”

del turismo oscuro.

En cualquier caso, al tratarse de un concepto plena-

mente impuesto desde la esfera académica, y, por tanto,

ajeno a ninguna estrategia de difusión proveniente de

la propia oferta turística, resulta realmente complicado

encontrar sites turísticos cuya relación con el turismo

oscuro provenga desde la propia imagen que la gestión

del site quiera proyectar de sí mismo. En otras palabras,

la oferta turística no se siente identicada con el turismo

oscuro (Wight 2009; Baldwin y Sharpley 2009; Magee

y Gilmore, 2015; Seaton et ál. 2015). ¿Y la demanda?

¿Son los turistas conscientes de estar practicando

turismo oscuro? Ello podrá suceder en mayor o menor

medida en función de la imagen percibida del turismo

oscuro y del tipo de motivación de cada visitante espe-

cíco, aunque, como arman numerosos autores (Slade

2003; Baldwin y Sharpley 2009; Biran et ál. 2011; Isaac

y Ashworth 2012), es evidente que no todos los visitan-

tes de lugares dark son turistas dark. Puede armarse,

incluso, que una buena mayoría de visitantes a determi-

nados lugares vinculados con la idea del turismo oscuro

quedarían totalmente horrorizados al saberse clasica-

dos junto a aquellos que visitan otros lugares oscuros de

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gorización de aquellas prácticas turísticas que de alguna

manera encajan en la denición genérica del turismo

oscuro. La problemática que aquí trasciende, pues,

apunta a si realmente resulta utilitario el uso del con-

cepto de Dark Tourism para analizar casos especícos

de la complejidad, por ejemplo, del Holocausto y otros

genocidios. O incluso, más allá de posibles debates éti-

cos, si englobar a toda esa innidad de prácticas dentro

de un modelo tan genérico resulta lo adecuado para el

avance cientíco.

Una vez transcurridos 25 años desde la implantación del

concepto de turismo oscuro en la esfera académica, y

tras decenas de aportaciones relevantes realizadas por

diversos autores al respecto de la idiosincrasia misma

del turismo oscuro, habrá que observar atentamente las

líneas de investigación propuestas para los años veni-

deros. Veremos si el turismo oscuro como paradigma

analítico es y sigue siendo útil o, por el contrario, puede

llegar a conrmarse una sobresaturación que acabe

descartando su uso en favor de otros paradigmas más

especícos.

Museo Memorial de Auschwitz-Birkenau

178

_a debate Interpretación y gestión del patrimonio en los espacios del turismo oscuro

| coordinan Óscar Navajas Corral y Maribel Rodríguez Achútegui

revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 179-182 | DEBATEDEBATE | revista PH Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico n.º 105 febrero 2022 pp. 176-178

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ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

Progress in dark tourism and thanatourism research: An uneasy relationship with heritage tourism

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2017
TOURISM MANAGE

Duncan Light

This paper reviews academic research into dark tourism and thanatourism over the 1996-2016 period. The aims of this paper are threefold. First, it reviews the evolution of the concepts of dark tourism and thanatourism, highlighting similarities and differences between them. Second it evaluates progress in 6 key themes and debates. These are: issues of the definition and scope of the concepts; ethical issues associated with such forms of tourism; the political and ideological dimensions of dark tourism and thanatourism; the nature of demand for places of death and suffering; the management of such places; and the methods of research used for investigating such tourism. Third, research gaps and issues that demand fuller scrutiny are identified. The paper argues that two decades of research have not convincingly demonstrated that dark tourism and thanatourism are distinct forms of tourism, and in many ways they appear to be little different from heritage tourism.

Heritage site management: from dark tourism to transformative service experience?

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2015

This paper investigates the managerial perspectives of dark heritage sites and considers how visitors can benefit from and ideally be transformed by the overall experience. Initially the paper provides a review of dark tourism literature and considers the relevance of the servicescape concept for this context. An in-depth case-based method was used to investigate site managers’ perspectives and key issues related to visitor's experience and engagement. Heritage sites no longer want to be seen as dark places and are striving to become sites of sensitive heritage where the focus is on visitor and social engagement. The contribution of this study to services theory is in its illumination of the integrative role of socially symbolic dimensions for heritage sites. The role of the servicescape is central to the co-creation of individual, personal socially symbolic experiences and to the longer-term societal mission of social change and global citizenships.

Last Resting Places? Recreational Spaces or Thanatourism Attractions — the Future of Historic Cemeteries and Churchyards in Europe

Chapter

Jan 2015

The late Benny Hill, one of Britain’s most successful comedians, was probably the only performer to make jokes about cemeteries. ‘Why?’ he once asked, with an expression of innocent bemusement, ‘do they put walls around cemeteries? There’s nobody outside who wants to get in; and nobody on the inside who’s going to get out!’

Battlefield tourism: Bringing organised violence back to life

Chapter

Dec 2009

The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism

Article

Jan 2009

Over the last decade, the concept of dark tourism has attracted growing academic interest and media attention. Nevertheless, perspectives on and understanding of dark tourism remain varied and theoretically fragile whilst, to date, no single book has attempted to draw together the conceptual themes and debates surrounding dark tourism, to explore it within wider disciplinary contexts and to establish a more informed relationship between the theory and practice of dark tourism. This book meets the undoubted need for such a volume by providing a contemporary and comprehensive analysis of dark tourism. © 2009 Richard Sharpley, Philip R. Stone and the authors of individual chapters. All Rights Reserved.

A dark tourism spectrum: Towards a typology of death and macabre related tourist sites, attractions and exhibitions

Article

Jan 2006

Philip Stone

Deaths, disasters and atrocities in touristic form are becoming an increasingly pervasive feature within the contemporary tourism landscape, and as such, are ever more providing potential spiritual journeys for the tourist who wishes to gaze upon real and recreated death. As a result, the rather emotive label of 'dark tourism' has entered academic discourse and media parlance, and consequently has generated a significant amount of research interest. However, despite this increasing attention the dark tourism literature remains both eclectic and theoretically fragile. That is, a number of fundamental issues remain, not least whether it is actually possible or justifiable to collectively categorise a diverse range of sites, attractions and exhibitions that are associated with death and the macabre as 'dark tourism', or whether identifiable degrees or 'shades' of darkness can be attributed to a particular type of dark tourism supplier. This paper argues that certain suppliers may indeed, conceptually at least, share particular product features, perceptions and characteristics, which can then be loosely translated into various 'shades of darkness'. As a result, dark tourism products may lie along a rather 'fluid and dynamic spectrum of intensity', whereby particular sites may be conceivably 'darker' than others, dependant upon various defining characteristics, perceptions and product traits. It is proposed that construction of a firm and comprehensive typological foundation will lead not only to a better understanding of dark tourism supply, but also, and perhaps more importantly, lead to a better understanding of where to locate and explore consumer demand, motivations and experiences.

Moving from Pilgrimage to “Dark” Tourism: Leveraging Tourism in Palestine

Article

May 2011

traveling to places associated with death is not a new phenomenon. People have long been drawn, purposefully or otherwise, towards sites, attractions, and events linked in one way or another with death, suffering, violence, or disaster. war-related attractions, though diverse, are a subset of the totality of tourist sites associated with death and suffering. this article aims to assess how “dark” tourism may play a role in leveraging tourism in Palestine, which has largely relied on pilgrimage tourism in the past. this article investigates the potential for developing this form of tourism, since Palestine has been undergoing death, suffering, violence, or disaster through political tension and instability since 1948 and arguably for a generation earlier, but has not yet developed a strategy for tourism development that considers this type of tourism.

Dark tourism scholarship: A critical review

Article

Aug 2013
Int J Cult Tourism Hospit Res

Philip Stone

Purpose – Commonly referred to as dark tourism or thanatourism, the act of touristic travel to sites of or sites associated with death and disaster has gained significant attention with media imaginations and academic scholarship. However, despite a growing body of literature on the representation and tourist experience of deathscapes within the visitor economy, dark tourism as a field of study is still very much in its infancy. Moreover, questions remain of the academic origins of the dark tourism concept, as well as its contribution to the broader social scientific study of tourism and death education. Thus, the purpose of this invited review for this Special Issue on dark tourism, is to offer some critical insights into thanatourism scholarship. Design/methodology/approach – This review paper critiques the emergence and current direction of dark tourism scholarship. Findings – The author suggests that dark tourism as an academic field of study is where death education and tourism studies collide and, as such, can offer potentially fruitful research avenues within the broad realms of thanatology. Secondly, the author outlines how dark tourism as a conceptual typology has been subject to a sustained marketization process within academia over the past decade or so. Consequently, dark tourism is now a research brand in which scholars can locate a diverse range of death‐related and tourist experience studies. Finally, the author argues that the study of dark tourism is not simply a fascination with death or the macabre, but a multi‐disciplinary academic lens through which to scrutinise fundamental interrelationships of the contemporary commodification of death with the cultural condition of society. Originality/value – This review paper scrutinises dark tourism scholarship and, subsequently, offers original insights into the potential role dark tourism may play in the public representation of death, as well as highlighting broader interrelationships dark tourism has with research into the social reality of death and the significant Other dead.

Sought Experiences at Dark Heritage Sites

Article

Jul 2011
ANN TOURISM RES

Current literature on dark tourism largely follows a supply perspective, almost ignoring the tourist experience. Focusing on Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp (here after Auschwitz), the epitome of dark tourism, the present study sheds light on the nature of this tourism experience by clarifying the relations between the symbolic meanings assigned to the site and core elements of the tourist experience (motivation and sought interpretation benefits). The findings suggest that Auschwitz hosts a heritage experience rather than a merely dark tourism one, and that alongside site attributes, tourists’ perceptions of the site should be considered in the conceptualization of the tourist experience. The findings challenge the current understanding of dark tourism as a distinct phenomenon to heritage tourism.

Editorial: Heart of darkness

Article