This handbook is the definitive reference text for the study of 'dark tourism', the contemporary commodification of death within international visitor economies. Shining a light on dark tourism and visitor sites of death or disaster allows us to better understand issues of global tourism mobilities, tourist experiences, the co-creation of touristic meaning, and 'difficult heritage' processes and practices. Adopting multidisciplinary perspectives from authors representing every continent, the book combines 'real-world' viewpoints from both industry and the media with conceptual underpinning, and offers comprehensive and grounded perspectives of 'heritage that hurts'. The handbook adopts a progressive and thematic approach, including critical accounts of dark tourism history, dark tourism philosophy and theory, dark tourism in society and culture, dark tourism and heritage landscapes, the 'dark tourist' experience, and the business of dark tourism. The Palgrave Handbook of Dark Tourism Studies will appeal to students and scholars with an interest in aspects of memorialisation and morality in sociology, death studies, history, geography, cultural studies, philosophy, psychology, business management, museology and heritage tourism studies, politics, religious studies, and anthropology.

This book is the first its kind to offer an innovative examination of the intersecting influences, contexts, and challenges within the field of children's dark tourism. It also outlines novel conceptualizations and methods for scholarship in this overlooked field. Presently, tourism research, and in dark tourism specifically, relies primarily on adult-centered theories and data collection methods. However, these approaches are inadequate for understanding and developing children's experiences and perspectives. This book seeks to inform and inspire research on children's experiences of dark tourism. Designed to appeal to students and scholars, it brings together insights from leading experts. The book focuses on five themes, to explore the conceptual and historic origins of children's dark tourism, developmental contexts, child perspectives, specific contexts relevant to children's encounters, and methodological approaches. This book is aimed at an international array of scholars and students with inherent research interests in the contemporary commodification of death and 'difficult heritage' within the visitor economy. Thus, the book will provide a multi-disciplinary scope within the fields of history, heritage studies, childhood studies, psychology, education, sociology, human geography, and tourism studies. The volume is primarily intended for undergraduate and postgraduate study, as well as scholars and tourism professionals.

Our significant dead and mortality moments are remembered at dark tourism sites, where complex issues of politics, history and ethics are exposed. This first-ever travel guide to dark tourism in England offers a thought-provoking compendium of difficult heritage. We remember the dead or acts of suffering through 'heritage that hurts'. This book explores infamous acts as well as obscure dark tourism sites lost to memory. Each site is challenged by its history and its political discourse and questions are raised as to how we remember our tragic past. Each site also has ethical issues that need to be addressed and confronted and visiting these sites are often fraught with moral dilemmas. 111 Dark Places in England That You Shouldn't Miss will help shine light on dark tourism and inherent complex issues associated with commemorating our dead. Dark tourism is politically vulnerable and ethically laden with moral commentary. This book attempts to be authoritative yet accessible in exploring sites of pain and shame.

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.