Visiting lecturer explains to Nilai UC students about pros and cons of 'dark tourism'
"Dark tourism is where tourists visit places associated with death, whether connected to a battle or a celebrity, or historical occurrence," explains Jayne Stocks, Principal lecturer in Tourism at Sheffield Hallam University. She was speaking to Nilai University College students from the BA (Hons) in Business and Hospitality programme.
Some examples of dark tourism include the Killing Fields memorial in Cambodia, Elvis Presley's home and final resting place in Graceland, USA, the Pharaohs tombs in the pyramids of Egypt, and the World War II Nazi concentration camps in Europe. In explaining this particular branch of tourism, Stocks pointed out the many complex ethical and moral issues associated with it. Although not new, this branch of tourism is surely becoming increasingly visible and profitable.
"Is it right for tourists to be gawking at a memorial honouring victims of war? Or is such tourism a good way to remind society of the atrocities of the past?" asks Stocks. She shows a slide of tourists joyfully posing in front of Ho Chih Minh's mausoleum in Viet Nam and with local war heroes. She states that such tourists change the dynamic of the relationship and threaten to reduce solemn monuments into mere photo opportunities. However, there are academics who argue that dark tourism plays a fundamental part in keeping history alive, such as the monument to the nuclear bomb victims in Hiroshima, Japan.
On a personal note, she shared with students about her own trip to the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany. She says that it was a very emotional experience and it is not the type of place for frivolous picture snapping, rather one for deep contemplation on the horrors committed there. "It is important to have such places to remind us of such tragedy," says Stocks. "I truly respect the German people for opening up these camps to the world rather than pretend it did not happen. It is a very brave move."
Key is to finding the right balance between commercialisation of a destination and respect for the significance the place or memorial has for its surrounding communities. Stocks ended her lecture by pointing out that such dark tourism destinations exist here in Malaysia with many amateur sleuths making their way to Cameron Highlands to visit the bungalow where famous silk magnate, Jim Thompson, disappeared after going for an evening walk. Her talk seems to have piqued the interest of the students and many certainly said they were going to learn more about dark tourism and may even plan a trip to some sites.
Stocks also took the time to speak about sustainable tourism in her talk and brought up many issues surrounding the concept. From whether it is just mere marketing ploy to whether it is a genuine branch of tourism that is worth paying for.
Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism offers a number of diploma programmes. Many students opt to continue into the BA (Hons) in Business and Hospitality Management. Talks by visiting academics are organised to broaden the students' horizons and to pique their interests in areas beyond their normal syllabus.
