Dark Tourism – A Niche Segment For The Romanian Tourism

In the last decades dark tourism has become a significant niche segment of world tourism. Locations marked by the occurrence of catastrophic natural events have attracted a large number of tourists, as well as different sites related to the production of mass massacres or genocide. The human mind is complex. Why tourists are attracted to these places is still a subject of intense discussion by experts in the field of tourism. It may be a feature of the current period or it might have reasons related to local history, or with the lost of loved ones etc. In Romania there are a few such places that may be included in package tours and have enough potential to attract a greater number of tourists. Such places are Merry Cemetery in Sapanta, Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest or Sighetul Marmatiei Prison, one of the dark prisons of communism, especially used for the extermination of the Romanian elites, both cultural and national and religious. Tourists are more attracted to such places mostly out of curiosity, although for most of these places stir up bad memories. This paper aims to analyze the potential for development of dark tourism in Romania and which are the possible destinations for this. Is there a market for this segment of tourism in Romania? Who could be potential tourists?