Designing dark tourism experiences: an exploration of edutainment interpretation at lighter dark visitor attractions

ABSTRACT

Existing dark tourism literature has explored various aspects of interpretation, including challenges in balancing interpretation efforts with concerns for historical accuracy, and managing ethical issues with interpreting past tragedies for packaged tourism purposes. However, research appears under-developed concerning the influences on the design of interpretation at dark visitor attractions, particularly those considered lighter due to their edutainment agenda. This paper thus critically explores the influences on the design of edutainment interpretation at three lighter dark visitor attractions, which are introduced as new attractions for study within dark tourism research. It also discusses the findings achieved that not only contribute to the study’s conclusions and recommendations for future research in the realms of dark tourism and interpretation, but also contribute to enhancing interpretation design understanding for both dark tourism research and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Interpretation design
• edutainment
• lighter dark visitor attractions
• dark tourism
• rich picture

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the anonymous reviewers and Dr Rami Isaac for their helpful feedback and support. In addition, Prof. Anna Leask and Prof. Paul Barron provided valuable guidance and encouragement in the completion of this paper and formerly completed PhD. Also, I am grateful to the LDVAs and participants for their time given to this study.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Edinburgh Napier University Research Repository at http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2455103, 338.4791 Tourist Industry.

Disclosure statement

This paper draws on the author’s PhD research (2019), which was partially funded by Edinburgh Napier University’s 50^th Anniversary Scholarship. Dr Brianna Wyatt is the author of this paper and supporting PhD research. Prof. Anna Leask served as the author’s PhD Director of Studies. Prof. Paul Barron served as the author’s PhD Supervisor. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brianna Wyatt

Brianna Wyatt is a Lecturer for Oxford Brookes University. Her PhD thesis (Edinburgh Napier University, 2019), explored the influences on the design and management of interpretation at lighter dark visitor attractions in the UK and Ireland, with an aim to extend knowledge and contribute to professional practice.

Anna Leask

Anna Leask is Professor of Tourism Management at Edinburgh Napier University. She is on the Editorial Board for four international tourism journals and has been involved in the Scientific Committees for international conferences in Europe and USA. She has published in key academic journals such as Tourism Management, International Journal of Tourism Research and Current Issues in Tourism, in addition to publishing a range of case studies, articles and practitioner papers.

Paul Barron

Paul Barron is Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Edinburgh Napier University. He is currently convenor of the University Research Integrity Committee, has authored articles in the fields of hospitality and tourism and served as Executive Editor of The Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management for six years. Paul is currently Hospitality Subject Editor for the Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education and is Chair of the Council for Hospitality Management Education (CHME).