Reflections of battlefield tourist experiences associated with Vietnam War sites: an analysis of travel blogs

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to analyse online travel blogs in order to gain an understanding of the reflections held by battlefield tourists in Vietnam. A qualitative approach utilising thematic analysis was conducted on 20 travel blogs. The findings suggest that tourists can have a deeply reflective experience at sites of past warfare, which includes cognitive dissonance to the war narrative. Tourist experiences in Vietnam presented a connection to the dead (mortality mediation) and a connection to the living (local people). These outcomes led to the overall understanding of battlefield experiences in Vietnam: The meaning of life and humanity through connecting with people, and the passing of time through the writing of history.

KEYWORDS:

• Dark tourism
• battlefield tourism
• Vietnam War
• tourist experience
• mortality mediation
• life affirmation
• meaning of life
• interpretation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Ann Upton graduated from Auckland University of Technology with a Master’s degree in International Tourism Management. Her area of interest is dark tourism.

Heike Schänzel is a senior lecturer in International Tourism Management at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Her research interests include tourist behaviour and experiences, children and families, gender, sociality and theory development in tourism.

Michael Lück is Professor at the Auckland University of Technology, and co-chair of the International Coastal & Marine Tourism Society. He has published in international journals and several books and serves on the editorial boards of various journals. Michael’s research interests are in the areas of coastal and marine tourism, wildlife tourism, ecotourism, interpretation and education and transport and tourism.