Politics in Dark Tourism
Concepts, Issues and Significances
FREYA EVANS
University of Central Lancashire
TL3067
Dark Tourism and Thana-events
PUNISHMENT
Dark Tourism and Politics
Tourist Attractions that provide a history containing punishment are as diverse as the nature in which they have originated from (Sharpley & Stone, 2009: 151). In addition, the manner in which they are presented to visitors are equally as different from one another. As an example, the Galleries of Justice Museum in Nottingham, United Kingdom combines entertainment with education through actors, roleplay and prisoner cases in order to appeal to a wider audience (Galleries of Justice, 2014). Comparatively, Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco provides an informative tour of the premises (National Park Service, 2014).
As more Dark Tourist Attractions are established, there becomes an increase in the appeal to visit particular destinations. More specifically, islands which would never have been considered as tourist ‘hotspots’ are now reliant on the visitor economy for future continuation. Robben Island and Alactraz are prime examples of this. Known as one of South Africa’s main points of interest, Robben Island has arguably contributed to the identity of South Africa from a tourist’s perspective.
This interest in the island has since become somewhat exploited through the tourism infrastructure, as an average of
200,000 Visitors view the island each year (Robben Island Museum, 2013). Indeed, the former prison is known to be an essential stop for global political icons, which contribute to the governmental presence within Dark Tourism.
Many theorists have provided concepts and frameworks regarding political influence upon Dark Tourism, with the common intent being to diminish the tension between the level of control in representing heritage.
Poria (2001, cited in Sharpley & Stone, 2009) presents a framework for attractions in order to minimise the level of political influence and thus heighten the interpretation of the dark event. The framework aims to incorporate all possible approaches to a Dark Tourist site, including those having a personal connection to the event through social means and those that are socially detached from the event. The framework then divides these two categories into two more segments, whether your social group may be associated with some responsiblity towards the happening of the event, and those that do not.
The framework does provide a clear distinction between the type of tourists that may visit a site and the feelings that may be associated as a consequence, without controlling the interpretations depending on the current political context. However, it merely assumes all tourists will feel responsibility or a connection to such sites and as such, does not account for motivations outside of the emotional intentions. Sites such as Karosta Prison and The Dungeons franchise are key examples that cannot be applied to this Poria's framework, causing the theory to be indefinite.
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