To read this content please select one of the options below:

A dark tourist spectrum

Rachael Raine (Rachael Raine is based at the School of Art and Design, University of Salford, Salford, UK.)

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

ISSN: 1750-6182

Article publication date: 2 August 2013

9960

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of dark tourists through an investigation of people's motivations to visit burial grounds. This research extends Stone's Dark Tourism Spectrum and Seven Dark Suppliers framework by identifying nine types of dark tourists.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative case study approach was selected where 23 interviews were conducted at three burial grounds. Interview transcripts were analysed in order to identify emerging themes in motives and experiences of dark tourism consumers. The sites selected were Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, London, St Mary's Graveyard, Whitby, and Weaste Cemetery, Salford.

Findings

From this research a Dark Tourist Spectrum has been formulated which presents a typology of the dark tourist. The spectrum identifies different categories of visitors identified at the burial grounds, ranging from “darkest” to “lightest” tourists.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of the research regard time and resource constraints. This affected the sample size of participants for interview and the selection of sites as case studies.

Originality/value

This study begins to fill the gap in research on people's motivations to visit sites that lie within the mid‐shades of Stone's Dark Tourism Spectrum, specifically burial grounds. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of dark tourism consumption with a new model presented in the form of a Dark Tourist Spectrum.

Keywords

Citation

Raine, R. (2013), "A dark tourist spectrum", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 242-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-05-2012-0037

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles