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Dark Tourists: Profile, Practices, Motivations and Wellbeing

Author

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  • José Magano

    (Research Center in Business and Economics (CICEE), Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, Rua Sta. Marta 47, 5.º Andar, 1150-293 Lisboa, Portugal
    ISCET-Higher Institute of Business Sciences and Tourism, Rua de Cedofeita, 285, 4050-180 Porto, Portugal)

  • José A. Fraiz-Brea

    (Department of Business Organization, Business Administration and Tourism Faculty, University of Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain)

  • Ângela Leite

    (Center for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Portuguese Catholic University, Rua de Camões 60, 4710-362 Braga, Portugal)

Abstract

This work aims to address whether knowing what dark tourism is (or not) impacts rumination on sadness, self-hatred, hostility, psychological vulnerability, and tourist wellbeing, as well as practices and motivations for dark tourism. A quantitative approach, based on a survey of 993 respondents, reveals that women and more educated participants know more about dark tourism; people who know what dark tourism is have visited more Holocaust museums, sites of human tragedy and natural disasters, concentration camps, and prisons; show more curiosity, need to learn and understand, and need to see morbid things. A model was found showing that gender, age, know/do not know dark tourism, and motivations (curiosity, the need to learn, the need to understand, and pleasure) explained 38.1% of a dark tourism practice index. Most findings also indicate that rumination on sadness, self-hatred, hostility, and psychological vulnerability are associated with darker practices. Greater wellbeing was not found in participants who knew in advance what dark tourism was. Interestingly, participants who visit tragic human sites present higher values in hostility and tourist wellbeing than those who do not. In summary, people who visit more dark places and score higher on negative personality characteristics have higher values of tourist wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • José Magano & José A. Fraiz-Brea & Ângela Leite, 2022. "Dark Tourists: Profile, Practices, Motivations and Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12100-:d:924144
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Buda, Dorina Maria, 2015. "The death drive in tourism studies," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 39-51.
    2. Yan, Bing-Jin & Zhang, Jie & Zhang, Hong-Lei & Lu, Shao-Jing & Guo, Yong-Rui, 2016. "Investigating the motivation–experience relationship in a dark tourism space: A case study of the Beichuan earthquake relics, China," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 108-121.
    3. Eben Proos & Johan Hattingh, 2022. "Dark tourism: Growth potential of niche tourism in the Free State Province, South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 303-320, May.
    4. Tomoko Totsune & Izumi Matsudaira & Yasuyuki Taki, 2021. "Curiosity–tourism interaction promotes subjective wellbeing among older adults in Japan," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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