Rethinking Dark Tourism: Practitioner Perspectives, and Future Research Directions

Wight, Craig; Podoshen, Jeff; Wyatt, Brianna; Lennon, John

Abstract

This study invited dark tourism practitioners to comment on the salient academic discourses concerning dark tourism and propose new ways forward for research. Through a genre analysis of dark tourism literature and semi-structured interviews with an internationally diverse sample of dark tourism practitioners, this paper challenges current academic framings of dark tourism. The findings reveal that many practitioners reject the label dark tourism, preferring alternative signifiers that emphasize life and remembrance over death and suffering. The paper argues that dark tourism remains a predominantly academic construct, necessitating greater sectoral input to refine its conceptualization. By foregrounding practitioner perspectives, our analysis highlights the dissonance between academic frameworks and industry realities. While grounded in academic discourse, we argue that practitioners—those shaping visitor experience and interpretation—are well positioned to challenge and enrich conceptual debates. Their insights reflect the lived tensions of how dark tourism is defined and enacted. We advocate a shift toward co-created ideation, prioritising practitioner engagement over rigid classifications.

Citation

Wight, C., Podoshen, J., Wyatt, B., & Lennon, J. (in press). Rethinking Dark Tourism: Practitioner Perspectives, and Future Research Directions. Tourism Recreation Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2025.2521277

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 22, 2025
• Deposit Date: May 26, 2025
• Journal: Tourism Recreation Research
• Print ISSN: 0250-8281
• Electronic ISSN: 2320-0308
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2025.2521277
• Keywords: Dark tourism; stakeholder consultation; ontological repositioning; academic discourse
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4518727