Dark Tourism, A new tourism trend of the world..?
Tourism can be described as an involvement of five senses of human body. Which is capable to create emotions, feelings and joyful memories. Also, tourism has ability to take the stress away from human mind due to busy lifestyle of modern world. Modern human on the other hand, seeks for solutions to cleanse or heal stressed mind and body. And tourism has identified as one of successful mind healer.
Although tourism has ability to relax and heal human mind, by visiting some tourist attractions can cause negative affection to mind and soul. In other words, instead of brightening traveler mind with relax and joyful feelings, some places can cause sorrow, terror or indescribable grief or painful feelings. Such places can change the overall idea and image of tourism because its turn the direction.
Traveling to these tourism attractions introduced as dark tourism recently and this has become an upcoming tourist market segment. However, tourists attraction to visit dark tourism hot spots were there even before this was introduced as dark tourism.
Although concept of dark tourism can be defined in many angles, most fascinating and popular concept among them is, visiting sites where historically prevalent with large number of deaths and tragedies.
As a mortal being, human mind is so fragile towards concept of death and world's history has witnessed to many calamities caused by nature or human behaviors. And some of such disaster took places are famous as dark tourism attractions among travelers. Let's look at some dark tourism attractions around the world.
1.Pompeii
Pompeii was an ancient city in Southern Italy in 79 AD and which was a largest tragedy caused by an active volcano Vesuvius by killing more than 16000 people. It is one of a popular dark tourism attractions among travelers who interested to visit dark tourism today.
2. Hiroshima - Japan
Hiroshima
in Japan is the first city in history which was targeted as first atomic bomb attack
in the history in 1945 August 06. And this place attracts millions tourists
all around the world.
Image: Hiroshima Peace memorial park
3. Chernobyl disaster site – Ukraine
Chernobyl
disaster is nuclear accident happened in 1986 April 26 at Chernobyl nuclear
power plant, Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union by killing 31 people and around
5000 cases of thyroid cancer. Despite of higher radiation level around the
site, thousands of tourists visit this place in every year.
Image: Chernobyl disaster site
4. Nazi concentrating Sites tours in Europe
Sobering
sites of Nazi are famous among tourists who would like to experience the dark
times and terror of world war II. Holocaust tours are another name of these
tours. These places were witnessed of cruelty of Nazi’s where millions of
innocent Jewish people were brutally killed and tortured. Similar sites are
spread most of the counties in Europe. Such as Germany, Poland, Austria, Czech
Republic, France, Netherlands and Scandinavia. And these sites are not for any weak heart travelers, who prefers to have experience of happiness. Millions
of Jewish pilgrim these places in a memory of their ancestors who were massacred
in here.
Image: The Jewish cemetery in Kraków Poland
Image: Entrance gate at Auschwitz – Poland
Image:Gas Chamber of Auschwitz – Poland
5. Churches decorated with human bones
These churches were not involved of killing any person, Simply, this was an attempt of artistic solution for overcrowded church’s graveyards. However, these places are famous among tourist around the world due such unique appearances. But, inside of these churches can make anybody terrified and definitely not best church to get married.
Image: Capuchin Crypt – Rome
Image: Monastery of San Francisco – Peru
Images: Sedlec Ossuary – Czech Republic
Image: San Bernardino alle Ossa
- Italy
Image: Czermna Chapel – Poland
Image: Capela dos Ossos – Portugal
6. Ed and Lorraine Warren Occult museum tours
Ed and Lorraine Warren were two of famous demonologists and paranormal investigators who solved number of paranormal cases. Ultimately, they made a museum including some of the paranormal objects they have found out and which were connected to some of the cases they solved. Some of the cases they solved, became box office hit movies later such as The Amityville, Annabelle and The Conjuring. However, this museum is a real spooky place for travelers who are fascinated about Paranormal activities and ghosts.
Image: Paranormal Objects of Ed and Lorraine Warren Occult museum
Image: Actual doll which based to famous movie Annabelle (Right side)
7. Aokigahara Forest Tours – Japan
Images: Hanging crops of Aokigahara Forests
Images: Hanging crops of Aokigahara Forests
8.Killing field Cambodia
During Cambodian civil war in 1975 - 1979, more than million people were killed and buried by Khmer Rouge Regime.This horrified and full of terror place has become a popular dark tourism attraction.
Image:Killing Field Cambodia
Image:Killing Field Cambodia
More dark tourism sites in the world wide
Knowing or unknowingly travelers are fascinated about these tourism attractions mainly due to curiosity of getting knowledge.However, even though dark tourism can change the overall idea and image of tourism, it can add unforgettable tourism experience and lessons of world's history.
Great article about Dark tourism,
ReplyDeleteVery useful article.
ReplyDeleteVisiting these sites of inhumanity can be a deeply moving and emotional experience, but what took place and remembering what happened is essential for all tourists
(Chirantha)
This is well- written article. Dark tourism is beneficial for historical understanding.
ReplyDeleteVery attactive artical.tourist can learn lot through dark tourism .
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.Its really an interesting post. I’ve heard of a few of the places on the list, but was thrilled to learn about so many new ones!It was awesome to read about ones from other parts of the world .
ReplyDeleteAmmar Ali