Dark Tourism proposals and products in Girona

Abstract

Everything related to tragedy and death has caught people’s attention throughout history, from Ancient Rome, when citizens enjoyed watching gladiator fights, up until the current moment, when people visit sites associated with pain and suffering such as the Auschwitz Genocide Camp or Chernobyl. The fact of traveling with this kind of motivation has always existed, even if people were not aware that they were experiencing what is called Dark Tourism. In any case, the lack of people’s knowledge may be due to the lack of articles and studies related to this kind of tourism. Seaton was one of the first authors to publish on this subject, referring to it as Thanatourism; years later, Lennon and Foley baptized it as Dark Tourism, as it is known today. Stone took a big step with the discovery of the Seven Dark Suppliers and its later Dark Tourism Spectrum Framework that helps to classify the different tourist attractions according to their degree of darkness’ intensity. Nevertheless, a lack of information on the subject is still visible and, above all, when it comes to detecting potential Dark Tourism destinations and their potential attractions. This thesis offers new theories and authors to add information on the origins and evolution of Dark Tourism, as well as new current sources of knowledge. Furthermore, this thesis, based on the study model carried out by Zaccaria, Romano & Puertas (2020), apply the Dark Tourism Attractiveness Scan Model in the province of Girona and the recognition of its potential attractions. Finally, the last aim is to promote the province of Girona as a Dark Tourism Destination through a catalogue of its tourist attractions and the creation of new routes.