Dark Tourism and Destination Branding: The Case Study of Auschwitz Concentration Camp

Literature Review

Martini, A., & Buda, D. M. (2018). Dark tourism and affect: framing places of death and disaster. Current Issues in Tourism, 1-14.

In their research, Annaclaudia Martini and Dorina Maria Buda have analyzed the effect of dark tourism. Martini works as a faculty member of the Department of Cultural Geography at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, whereas Buda is the head of the International Center for Research in Events, Tourism, and Hospitality at Leeds Beckett University, England. The paper aimed to discuss the new possibilities of theorizing dark tourism as a source of resourceful socio-spatial encounters. To achieve this aim, qualitative research was carried out in which the authors have framed dark tourism concerning the theories of effect, particularly concerning geographies of effect (Martini & Buda, 2018). This research can be considered effective and influential because both authors have substantial experience in their field, i.e., tourism. Adopting a critical approach, the authors have debated the concept of affect, dark tourism terminology, and taxonomies along the various aspects of the dark tourism experience. Considering how complex and novel this term is, the research by Martini and Buda (2018) can be considered timely and thoroughly researched.

Liyanage, S., Coca-Stefaniak, J. A., & Powell, R. (2015). Dark destinations–visitor reflections from a holocaust memorial site. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 1(4), 282-298.

Dr. J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak is a senior events and destination management professor, and Raymond Powell is a senior tourism lecturer at the University of Greenwich, London. On the other hand, Sherry Liyanage is a tourism consultant in London. Their experience and professions justify their research in this domain. The authors investigated to identify the psychological impact and self-reflection process of their visiting experience to a dark tourist Nazi concentration camp. The motivation behind the study was the growing interest in dark tourism and visitors' experience before and after their visit to the camp. 15 online semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourists who visited Dachau (a Nazi concentration camp in Germany) between 2003 and 2015 (Liyanage, Coca-Stefaniak & Powell, 2015). People from 11 different nationalities were involved in the study. Detailed discussion is carried out on dark tourism. The authors in the literature review section have critically analyzed dark tourism, its various layers, and the motivations behind it. The authors state that after visiting the site, there was a significant psychological change in the visitors.

Factors Influencing Motivation of Dark Tourism

They had feelings of depression, sadness, anger, and curiosity, which might haunt them for a substantial amount of time (Liyanage, Coca-Stefaniak & Powell, 2015). Furthermore, history and education were identified as the major motivations behind their visit to the place.

Amujo, O. C., & Otubanjo, O. (2012). Leveraging rebranding of ‘unattractive’ nation brands to stimulate post-disaster tourism. Tourist Studies, 12(1), 87-105.

The research by Amujo and Otubanjo (2012) aims to present insights into how a nation whose brand name is viewed negatively due to disasters, massacres, or political turmoil can promote tourism. The objective of the research was to identify the impact of rebranding on a nation’s brand image. The research is carried out by Olusanmi C. Amujo and Olutayo Otubanjo, who work at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Lagos Business School, Nigeria. Qualitative research that reviews the existing literature on the topic of rebranding and negatively perceived national brands. The authors in their study have emphasized dark tourism and have stated that due to the increasing impact of the media due to globalization, the presentations of genocide may touch the emotional and curious side of the dark tourists and historians and can lead them to visit such affected places. Nation brand association and identity redeployment post-disaster are identified as the key strategies through which nations can rebrand themselves and promote tourism to such places (Amujo & Otubanjo, 2012). The descriptive and timely research of the authors has also proposed a framework for nation rebranding for emerging countries.

Thurnell-Read, T. P. (2009). Engaging Auschwitz: an analysis of young travellers’ experiences of Holocaust Tourism. Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice 1(1), 26-52.

One of the objectives of the present study is to identify tourists’ motivations and experiences at dark tourist points. The study by Thurnell-Read (2009) is important in achieving the following objective. This study is also important because the case of the research is similar to that of the following study, i.e., the Auschwitz concentration camp that resulted in the deaths of millions. The topic, ‘Engaging Auschwitz: An Analysis of Young Travellers’ Experiences of Holocaust Tourism’, is social because it led to major social distress and disturbed the lives of millions of people. Thomas Thornell-Read is a senior lecturer in the Social Sciences department at Loughborough University, England. This illustrates that the author had command over his research domain, which is the reason why such thorough research was initiated, which explained and discussed all the concerned variables in a wide and complete manner. A qualitative research study comprising semi-structured interviews was initiated. Several motivations, such as the assertion of human standards and historical, educational, and cinematic factors of the Holocaust, were identified as the motivations contributing to the young travellers visiting Auschwitz (Thurnell-Read, 2009).

Slivková, S., & Bucher, S. (2017). Dark Tourism and its Reflection in Post-Conflict Destinations of Slovakia and Croatia. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 19(1), 22-34.

The study directed by Slivková and Bucher (2017) aimed to identify the reflection of dark tourism in the post-conflict tourist points of Slovakia and Croatia. The authors of their study state that the productive branding of the affected region can significantly impact the territory's reputation and tourism. The authors argue that branding destinations affected by conflicts can help the country attract investments and develop awareness among domestic and international people. While defining dark tourism, Slivková and Bucher (2017) opine that it is a product of post-modern times when the trend is shifting towards niche tourism instead of mass tourism. People prefer exploring new destinations where they can attach themselves emotionally and from an educational perspective. The author has used Stone’s framework of the dark tourism spectrum, which signifies the different forms of dark tourism (Stone, 2013). Detailed historical discussion is carried out concerning the events carried out in Slovakia and Croatia and relating to the various dark tourist destination points in the regions.

Schaar, R. (2013). Destination branding: a snapshot. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research, 16(1), 1-10.

Rebecca Schaar, a marketing lecturer, wrote an article on destination branding. The paper aimed to review the literature to enhance the understanding of the readers regarding the concept of destination branding. The author states that destination branding is a new marketing concept in the research domain and for the tourism industry. Most of the researchers have compared destination branding to consumer product branding, which are two completely different things, as the author claims (Schaar, 2013). The authors suggest that destination brand relies significantly on appealing to tourists emotionally and inspirationally.

Campelo, A., Aitken, R., Thyne, M., & Gnoth, J. (2014). Sense of place: The importance of destination branding. Journal of Travel Research, 53(2), 154-166.

The research carried out by Campelo et al. (2014) aimed to discuss the importance of destination branding in a society where tourism and hospitality are increasing and people are showing more interest in tours. The tourist destination which was the focus of the study was the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. Time, landscape, community, and ancestry were the determinants of the sense of place. As per the authors, these were the constructs influencing a person’s visiting intentions. Campelo et al. (2014) main focus throughout the study has been on destination branding. The authors argue that destination branding is substantially influenced by an appreciation of the sense of place, and therefore, the authors recommend that to promote a brand positively, destination marketers must focus on making tourists or potential tourists understand the sense of place.

Jetter, L. G., & Chen, R. J. (2011). Destination branding and images: Perceptions and practices from tourism industry professionals. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 12(2), 174-187.

Laura G. Jetter and Rachel J. C. Chen, from the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management, University of Tennessee, USA, wrote a research paper to identify the relationship between a destination’s image and the number of tourists visiting the destination. Laura, Jetter, and Rachel (2011) state that just like the increasing competition amongst the firms, competition within the cities is also increasing to market themselves as a more successful market destination. This success is highly dependent on the image of the city. To improve the image, each city must assess its weaknesses and strengths. The research, after comparing Knoxville, Tennessee, to other correspondingly populated cities in the US, concludes that the city's perception, image, and branding play an extremely important role in attracting tourists to a destination point. Destination branding promotes their deadly cultural sites and informs visitors about their disastrous past events and happenings. Dark tourism is essential for places because it brings more revenue and promotes the growth of the economy's GDP. Dark tourism defines the experiences which provide detailed information regarding the country’s historical places and cultural phenomena.

Journals. Editions. 2020. The Concentration Camp As A Site Of ‘Dark Tourism’. [online] Available at: <https://journals.openedition.org/temoigner/272> [Accessed 9 March 2020].

Dark tourism promotes the knowledge of the visitors and the tourists at the concentration camp in Poland. Dark tourism has also been named Holocaust tourism, which focuses on past happenings and promotes the dark experiences that happened in the destination spot. According to Sarah HODGKINSON (2020), dark tourism is important in exploring new information about recent or past popular events in the context of memorialising the difficult heritage and shifting the political and historical narratives which apply to the site, such as the concentration camp in Poland, which is recognized as a dark tourism site. The site is continuously generating revenues and increasing physical traffic at the concentration camp; moreover, in 2012, over 1.4 million people visited the place due to the effective tourism branding strategies utilized to promote the place. The author agrees that dark tourism has a strong influence over the tourism industry and creates a significant impact on the mass people.