I have always had mixed feelings when it comes to visiting sites of suffering, however throughout my travels I have visited many of these sites, including Auschwitz in Poland, Alcatraz in the US, and the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam. For reference, Auschwitz was the most notorious of concentration camps used by the Nazis, Alcatraz was the world's most secure prison in its heyday, and the Cu Chi Tunnels were an underground network used during the Vietnam War. I have also visited a bar in the middle of a former prison in Lithuania (in which prison tours were also offered), and a torture museum in Croatia, and the only reason I didn't visit Robben Island in South Africa, which is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, was because the trip got cancelled.
Dark tourism is defined as: "tourism that involves travelling to places associated with death and suffering", and despite not setting out to, I've found myself visiting these sites when nearby, and even sites marking tragic events, such as Hiroshima in Japan, Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, Ground Zero in New York, and the NATO bombings in Belgrade. Hiroshima suffered great destruction due to an atomic bomb, Pearl Harbour was the site of a surprise attack leading to the loss of many lives, and Ground Zero is a memorial for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Whilst it feels unethical for people to profit from the suffering of others, especially if these profits aren't being invested in the prevention of history repeating itself or supporting the families of those who suffered in these places, it also is important to spread awareness and keep the memory of the victims alive. For example, the Cu Chi Tunnels and Alcatraz were educative experiences more than anything else and I learnt a lot about their significance in history. That said, the bar located in the middle of a former prison (which was also a filming location of Stranger Things, Season 4) seemed slightly insensitive and unethical.
The first time I was forced to consider my stance on the matter was whilst visiting Auschwitz, as I thought it was definitely important to learn more about the Holocaust and spread awareness in order to prevent the repetition of such a tragedy, but it also felt immoral to walk around a place where so much suffering and pain occurred for entertainment. I think that for the most part, dark tourism is fine as long as it is educational (as it becomes, for all intents and purposes, a museum), however if you are taking selfies, being disrespectful, or simply there for a laugh, the commercialisation of these sites is unethical. I always find it very strange seeing gift shops selling cheap trinkets at these sites of horror. After learning about the inhumane treatment of certain prisoners in Alcatraz and the injustices that racism played a part in, you are able to buy hats with the phrase 'PSYCHO WARD - OUTPATIENT' or a bobblehead of Al Capone (Alcatraz's most infamous prisoner), which seemed very bizarre and incongruous.
I find it especially immoral when a tourist will essentially pay to watch locals living in poverty (such as tours of favelas in Brazil or townships in South Africa) as if they were animals in a zoo. Dark tourism is also widely criticised for the spread of misinformation or focusing on something other than the victims (such as prisons focusing on the security as opposed to the treatment of the prisoners) in order to be more palatable for tourists. I think it is worth researching about these sites prior to visiting them in order to determine whether you want to support the capitalisation from the suffering of others, as well as to educate yourself more on the tragedies you will learn more about. For example, reading Anne Frank's diary or watching 'Life is Beautiful' stuck with me more in ways than a guided tour of Auschwitz did as I found it easier to conceptualise when following the personal story of one victim as opposed to hearing mass statistics, however I think this depends on each individual and the tour guide. This also shows that visiting a place isn't necessarily the best way to learn about a tragic event.
That said, visiting both Pearl Harbour, which was where the Japanese attacked the Americans, and Hiroshima, which is where America then responded by detonating an atomic bomb over the city in Japan, was extremely interesting and much more memorable as I could compare each country's perspective on the matter. Similarly, the media focuses much more on the US perspective of the 'Vietnam War', however visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam allowed me to understand how the Vietnamese view the series of events (which they term the 'American War').
In conclusion, I think that dark tourism can be very beneficial and educational as it keeps the memory alive and can help to support the families of the victims, as long as it is done in a respectful way. The only other dark tourism destination that I hope to visit at some point is Chernobyl in Ukraine as I have always been very intrigued by the effects of nuclear explosions on mankind.
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