Uncovering Psychological Shadows: Delving Into the Soul of Dark Tourism in India Through Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

The tourism business is seeing a major boom worldwide, especially in India, where there has been a noticeable rise in visitors to destinations related to dark tourism. This subset of tourism in general involves travel to locations associated with death, tragedy, or melancholy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological facets of human nature that contribute to the rising popularity of dark tourism. In particular, it aims to clarify the behavioral goals, cues, and incentives that lead tourists to investigate sites with tumultuous histories. This study chronicles visitors' experiences using a narrative inquiry technique, looking at how their emotions change before, during, and after participating in dark tourism. Interviews with people who have taken part in these excursions provide primary data. Findings imply that people frequently engage in dark tourism because of curiosity, a desire for thrills, emotional triggers, or memories of previous experiences. This study indicates that there are dynamic changes in the feelings of tourists as they travel, ranging from mildly curious at first to finally accepting bad energy and feeling satisfied after the trip is over. This study advances our understanding of the psychological and emotional factors that lead people to engage in gloomy tourism, which involves visiting sites associated with past tragedies and ills. The study's conclusion, which shed light on the changing tourist tastes and motives, have both academic and practical consequences for tourism management, marketing tactics, and the hospitality industry as a whole.

Citation

Srivastava, N. (2024), "Uncovering Psychological Shadows: Delving Into the Soul of Dark Tourism in India Through Narrative Inquiry", Sharma, A., Arora, S. and Shukla, P. (Ed.) Dark Tourism (Building the Future of Tourism), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 311-333. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83797-336-120241021