Politics in Dark Tourism
Concepts, Issues and Significances
FREYA EVANS
University of Central Lancashire
TL3067
Dark Tourism and Thana-events
PUNISHMENT
Representations
An issue of identity undeniably occurs when the tourist attraction of imprisonment becomes socially associated with the location of where it is situated (Amujo & Otubanjo, 2012). Subject to the approach in which punishment is represented, tourists can identify locations based upon particular historical features that distinguish place (Dehoorne & Jolliffe, 2013: 156). As a key example, South Africa is commonly associated amongst Tourists with the Apartheid.
In addition, attractions centred on Apartheid and political events, such as Robben Island, provide a contribution towards the identity of South Africa as a whole (Clarke & McAuley, 2013).
(The difficulty then lies with the destination in order to provide equivalent historical points of interest which are not dependent upon Dark events!)
Attractions can also sometimes interfere with the above challenge, as the tourism demand for one aspect of Dark history may be higher than the requirement to provide alternative historical eras. Wilson (2011) provides the concept of frozen narratives, where an attraction recognises one focal perspective in which to represent history to visitors. Using the above example of Robben Island, it is evident that the political interpretations of the Apartheid are the core appeal to visitors. Represented as victims of the particular period, the attraction provides Prisoner stories for visitors to receive and interpret. Sharpley (2009: 149) also argues that tourism can be used for political purposes as an instrument to publicly confirm their cultural identity. As shown through Robben Island, the museum acts as a cultural symbol of peace for South Africa.
"A Symbol of the triumph of the Human Spirit over adversity" - Robben Island (2015)
"Come experience the beauty, history and infamy of Alcatraz on the San Francisco Bay. You'll be astounded by what you learn and see." - Alcatraz Cruises (2015)
As a contrasting example, Alcatraz Island is one of San Francisco’s top points of interest. Renowned for the infamous inmates that resided there such as Al Capone, the island is most known for its use as a prison, however the tourist officials are trying to provide diverse uses for the island through its wildlife and also through its alternative history as a military fortress (Alcatraz Cruises, 2015; BBC, 2014). This suggests an attempt to subdue the possible consequence of tourists celebrating crime, as the island has opposing messages of punishment compared to that of Robben Island.
Wilson (2011) also provides an argument that visitors to previous locations of imprisonment are insensitive to the personal cases of prisoners, by viewing prison history as a collective ‘other’. It is also worth noting that Wilson (2011) recognises the distinction that occurs when former prison officers are employed as visitor guides, compared to that of generic tour guides who are detached from the site. This issue therefore provides an inherent progression onto the following concept that is Authenticity.
© 2014 by Freya Evans. Proudly created with Wix.com