Survey report on awareness/

interest of students in Dark

tourism

– Second assignment to: Memory Landscapes

and Tourism. Intensive short course in dark

tourism (Memorscapes) Saaremaa, Estonia July

28-August 8/9, 2013

Södertörns University| School of Natural Science, Technology and

Environmental Studies| Bachelor of Science in Tourism program |

Spring semester 2013

Authors: Anna Brandt and Neena Frostne, Sweden

Second assignment to: Memory Landscapes and Tourism. Intensive short course in dark tourism

(Memorscapes) Saaremaa, Estonia July 28-August 8/9, 2013

Survey report on awareness/ interest of students in Dark tourism

This survey was handed out to Bachelor of Science in Tourism student’s year 2010, bytheauthors of

this report Anna Brandt and NeenaFrostne, at Södertörn University under the semester spring

2013.The report contains answers from totally 50 individuals that study the Bachelor of Science in

Tourism programat Södertörn University.

Question 1: On the scale below how familiar are you with the “dark tourism” concept? (Circle the

appropriate number)

On the question number one there were 50% who were familiar and very familiar with the concept

“dark tourism” concept (bar 5, 6, 7 in the diagram). 20% (bar 1 in the diagram) were not at all familiar

with the concept. And the rest 30% is just little familiar whit the concept.

Question 2: In your own words please define “dark tourism” as you understand it.

On this question we have chosen 5 definitions that the students should define concerning dark

tourism. For all the answers please look in enclosure 1. One student answer: “Don’t know anything

about it”. Here we will show five students that we think are representativeexamples of their

definitions.

“Dark tourism is defined for me by many different actors. The original definition by John Lennon and

Foley are for me not following the others. For example media and other academics that are working

in that field. I defined those persons who have knowledge in that field. I defined that as a tourism

product where tragical event-new as old and popular gets tourists visitors where they get information

about what has happened.”

“Tourism to places where something terrible has happen”.

“Places where catastrophe has accord and are visited of tourists of that reason”.

“it can maybe bee attractions where something ”horrible” has accord, maybe something that has

made a mark on the country’s history”.

“Some organizations like prostitution, drugs etc. When people travel to take advantage of a situation

in another country like the sex industry in Thailand”.

Question 3: On the scale below how interested are you to visit places related to

war/disaster/death/suffering? (Circle the appropriate number).

On the question number 3 there were 44% (bar 5, 6, 7 in the diagram) who were interested or very

interested to visit dark tourism places. 66% (bar 1, 2, 3, 4 in the diagram) were not at all interested or

very little interested to visit places related to war/ disaster/death/ suffering.

Question 4: Please list 3 destination/sites in your country that are or could be considered as “dark

tourism” sites/attractions. To illustrate the

answers we have chosen to list the

destinations/sites from the Swedish map

below.

Picture: The Swedish map has following license= GNU Free Documentation License

Author NordNordWest:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweden_location_map.svg

Three students have not answered the question and two write that they “don’t know”. One student commented: “I am not familiar with this in Sweden, we have some streets like Malmskillnadsgatan (Stockholm), and some clubs more or less taking that kind of apportion.” And one student answered

an overall answer “Wars between Sweden and Denmark".

Related Stockholm”dark tourism” sites/attractions

Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

Vasa Museum- exhibition ‘Face to Face’ where they show skeletons from the ship, Stockholm,

Sweden

Old town, Stockholm, Sweden

Östermalm, Stockholm, Sweden

Old town-Stockholm’s blood bath, Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholmghost walk, Guided tours in Old town Stockholm, Sweden

Museum, about Stockholm bloodbath, Stockholm, Sweden

SkogskyrkogårdenThe Woodland Cemetery, in Stockholm Sweden,

The Big Squarein Old Town Stockholm, Sweden

Olof Palme’sstreet, Stockholm, Sweden

Birka on the island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren,Sweden’s first real

Town. During Viking times eighth century

Långholmen- Prison museum, Stockholm, Sweden

ShipwrecksDalarö, Haninge, Stockholm, Sweden

Malmskillnadsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden

Other” dark tourism sites/attractions in Sweden

Uppsala mounds is the name of the three so-called royal mounds of Old Uppsala.

Uppsala, Sweden

Bohus fortress,Bohuslän, Gothenburg, Sweden

Tjörn Bridge, formerdemolished bridge, Bohuslän, Göteborg

LinnéplatsenGothenburg, Sweden

HeligaBirgittassten. Kalvnäset,Uppland , Sweden

Martebo lights, Gotland, Sweden

Battlefield of Mästerby, Gotland, Sweden

Nyköping banquet, Nyköping, Sweden

Ådalen shootings, Kramfors, Sweden

Halmstad, Sweden,

Engsö Castle, Västerås, Sweden

Varberg fortress, Varberg, Sweden

Shipwreck’s in the archipelago

Rataskär, Robertfors municipality, Sweden

Question 5: Please list 3 sites/attractions related to “dark tourism” you have visited in your

country or abroad?To illustrate the answers we have chosen to list the sites/attractions from the

World Map bellow.

Picture: The World map has following license= GNU Free Documentation License

Author original uploader Roke: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BlankMap-World-v2.png

Four students have not given any examples on this

question.

Europe

Amterdam, Netherlands,where you can takedrugs,Chile, South America and the

sameinThailand

AuschwitzBirkenau, Poland The Berlin Wall, Germany

Hitler'seagle's nest, Germany

The Vasa ship, Stockholm, Sweden

Engsö castle, Sweden

Old Town, Stockholm, Sweden

Stortorget (The Big Square), Sweden

Martebo lights,Sweden

Battlefield of Mästerby, Sweden

Stockholm Ghost walk, Sweden

Stockholm’s bloodbath, Sweden

Skogskyrkogården- cemetery, Sweden

Varberg Fortress, Sweden

Ronneby bloodbath, Sweden

Jerusalem, Israel

Kilmainham Gaol Prison, Ireland

Tower of London, United Kingdom

Churchill’sold bunker in London, United Kingdom

Concentration camp in Germany

Normandy, D-day beaches, France

Montmartre, France

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Vesuvius, Italy

KutnaHora, Czech Republic

Jüdisches Museum Berlin, Berlin,Germany

Checkpoint Charlie, Germany

The country of Bosnia

Treblinka, Germany

A tankwreckoutside Jordan

Africa

Slave cellars, Tanzania

Asia

Cambodia-Killing fields, Cambodia

Mindanao, Philippines

Vietnam- Cu Chi tunnels, Vietnam

Vietnam- war museum, Vietnam

Krabi, Thailand

North America

Alcatraz, San Francisco,United States of America

Monument for afireman, San FranciscoUnited States of America

John Lennon’s death place in New York, United States of America

Arlington National Cemetery, United States of America

Question 6: Below are listed some possible reasons why you might want to visit “dark tourism”

sites. Pleas provide your answer your answer to each of these statements on 7-point scale (1-

totally disagree, 7-totally agree). We have chosen to show each statement in one diagram each.

The statement is named, statement 6.1 to 6.10 for each question. For example (Statement 6.1

stands for statement “Because I want to “see it in order to believe it”).

58% (bar 1,2,3 in the diagram) totally disagree that they wanted to visit “dark tourism” sights in order

to believe it.42% (bar 4,5,6,7 in the diagram) agreed to totally agree that they wanted to visit “dark

tourism” sights in order to believe it.

On this statement 6.2 44% ( bar 1,2,3 in the diagram) totally disagree or disagree that they would

visit a “ dark tourism” sight to make it even real for them.56% ( bar 4,5,6,7 in the diagram) little

agreed to totally agree that they would visit a “dark tourism“ sight to make it even real for them.

10

6 6

108

5 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Statement 6.2

To make the event real for me

On this statement 6.3 no answers where on (bar 2 in the diagram).18% (bar 1, 3 in the diagram)

totally disagreed to disagreed that they would visit a “dark tourism” sight because to learn more

what happened.82% (bar 4,5,6,7 in the diagram) showed agree to totally agree that they would visit

a “dark tourism sight” to learn more of what happened.

On this statement 6.4 26 %( bar 1, 2, 3 in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

would visit a “dark tourism” sight to better understand what happened. 74% (bar 4, 5, 6, 7 in the

diagram) agreed to totally agree that they would visit a “dark tourism” sight to better understand

what happened on that sight.

30

6 58

11

17

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Statement 6.3

To learn more of what happened

4 35

36

12

16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Statement 6.4

To better understand what happened

On this statement 6.5 80% (bar 1,2,3,4 in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

would visit a “dark tourism” sight because it is an tourist attraction.20% ( bar 5,6,7 in the diagram)

agreed or totally agreed that they would visit a “dark tourism” sight because it is an tourist

attraction.

On this statement 6.6 84% (bar 1,2,3,4 in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

were interested in seeing sites linked to death/ suffering. 16% (bar 5, 6, 7 in the diagram) agreed to

totally agreed that they were interested in seeing sites linked to death /suffering.

On this statement 6.7 no answer was on the scale number 7 totally agree on “To help me feel

empathy whit the victims”.64% (bar 1, 2, 3 in the diagram) totally disagreed that they visit a “dark

tourism“sight to help them feel empathy whit the victims.36% (bar 4, 5, 6 in the diagram) little

agreed to agreed that they would visit a “dark tourism” sight to help them feel empathy with the

victims.

On this statement 6.8 no answer was on scale number 7 totally agree on “Because I want to have an

emotional experience”.88% (bar 1, 2, 3, 4, in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

would visit a “dark tourism” site because they want to have an emotional experience.12% little agree

to agree that they would visit a “dark tourism “sight because the wanted to have an emotional

experience.

On this statement 6.9 84% (bar 1,2,3,4 in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

would visit a “dark tourism “sight to make them feel closer to their heritage. 14% (bar 5, 6, 7 in the

diagram) little agree and totally agree that they would visit a “dark tourism” sight to make them feel

closer to their heritage.

On this statement 6.10 38% (bar 1, 2, 3 in the diagram) totally disagreed to little agreed that they

would visit a “dark tourism” sight to better understand the heritage of the place they visit.62% (bar

4,5,6,7 in the diagram) agreed to totally agreed that they would visit a “dark tourism” site to better

understand the heritage of the place they visit.

Enclosure 1

Question 2 from the survey: In your own words please define “dark tourism” as you understand it

Respondent 1: Dark tourism is tourism that has to do with visiting places where negative events

have taken place.

Respondent 2: Dark tourism is historical. Attraction place there to get to know about a historical part,

for example World War 2, Auschwitz (Poland) there many countries was involved and many people

died in Europe mass grave.

Respondent 3: Swedish: Turism till platser där något hemskt har hänt.

English translation: Tourism to places where something terrible has happen.

Respondent 4: Swedish: Det handlar om minnesturism.

English translation: It’s about Memory Tourism.

Respondent 5: Swedish: Tragiska mörka platser som är lämnade.

English translation: Tragically dark places which is abounded.

Respondent 6: Visiting churches, graveyards etc. and other things that somehow are related to death

of people

Respondent 7: Don’t know anything about it

Respondent 8: I guess it has to do whit dark things? Auschwitz could be dark tourism

Respondent 9: A place where horrible things took place. I.E. Auschwitz, Cambodia, Memorial sights

Respondent 10: Travel in the purpose of visiting a site that has any association whit death and

autencity

Respondent 11: I see it as a place where evil deeds have taken place and later on have been turned

into an area which accepts tourist and talk about those very specific things.

Respondent 12: A place whit bad and horrible history that is interesting to visit

Respondent 13: Dark tourism is tourism related to death and tragedy

Respondent 14: Dark tourism is tourism attractions that are related whit death, wars, disasters etc.

Respondent 15: Sneaky tourism not reliable or maybe some dark history

Respondent 16: Kanske saker man inte är medveten om, men får reda på under turistandet? Kanske

något. Med dåliga erfarenheter som krigshärjade platser.

English translation: Maybe stuff that you are not aware of, but get aware of from being a tourist?

Maybe something with bad experience as battlefields sights.

Respondent 17: Swedish: Platser med mörkhistoria.

English translation: Places with dark history

Respondent 18: Swedish: Handlar om platser där mord och andra hemska saker har hänt historiskt.

English translation: It is places where murder and other horrible things have happened historical.

Respondent: 19 Interest in dark subjects like vampires, death, mystery, ghosts etc.

Respondent: 20 I believe it is places which shows the tourists place from war and where bad things

has happened.

Respondent: 21 Swedish: Historiska platser med lidande focus.

English translation: Historical places whit suffering in focus.

Respondent: 22 Swedish: Plats där katastrof inträffat och besöks av turister av den anledningen.

English translation: Places where catastrophe has accord and are visited of tourists of that the

reason.

Respondent 23: Dark tourism is a place where something bad has happened and now people visit it.

Respondent 24: History, death

Respondent 25: Prostitution

Respondent 26: Dark

Respondent 27: Memory tourism

Respondent 28: Besökpå ex. Krigsplatser (visiting war places)

Respondent 29 Besök på platser där det var krig (viseting places where has been in war)

Respondent 30: Dark tourism is tourism that focus on stuff that is not that positive like World War II

Respondent 31: Omfattar kanske attraktioner där något “hemskt” har skett, kanske även något som

satt prägel på landets historia.

English translation: it can maybe bee attractions where something ”horrible” has accord, maybe

something that has made a mark on the country’s history.

Respondent 32: Swedish: Auschwitz. Där människor blev dödade. Dark tourism relaterar till turism

där krig och annat hemskt försiggått.

English translation: Auschwitz. There people got killed and so on. Dark tourism is related to tourism

there war and other stuff have happened.

Respondent 33: Dark tourism is tourism about wars and other things that is dark. For example

Auschwitz, Berlinmuren (The Berlin wall), World War 2

Respondent 34: Some organizations like prostitution, drugs etc. When people travel to take

advantage of a situation in another country like the sex industry in Thailand.

Respondent 35: Tourism connected to war and death

Respondent 36: Travel to sites associated whit death and tragedy

Respondent 37: Travel to disaster sites or related to death

Respondent 38: Where dark actions took place

Respondent 39: Swedish: morbid turism typ saker som hänt I historien som har med brott och

tragedi att göra

English translation: Morbid tourism sort off, like stuff that happen in the history that has whit blood

and tragedy to do. Respondent 40: I define it like something scary, I think about history, things that

has happened

Respondent 41: Dark tourism is tourism about scary things I think

Respondent 42: Swedish: Kyrkor, döden, andras olycka.

English translation: Charters, death, others on fortune

Respondent 43: Places related to war disaster, death and other dark happenings

Respondent 44: Swedish: En plats eller en attraktion som kan kopplas till en händelse som kanske

inte nödvändigtvis är hemsk och innehåller död, men det är det första jag tänker på

English translation: A place or an attraction that can be associated to an event that maybe not

necessarely is horrible and it contains death, but that is the first thing I am thinking of.

Respondent 45: Swedish: Något mörkt, ledsamt. Myckethistoria

English translation: Something dark, sorrowful. Much history

Respondent 46: Tourism concerning places where people been …. Or killed (example)

Respondent 47: Swedish: Dark tourism definieras enligt mig olika av olika aktörer. Den ursprungliga

definitionen av John Lennon & Foley följer enligt mig inte andra. Tillexempel media av andra

akademiker som är insatta i ämnet. Jag definierar det som är insatt i ämnet. Jag definierar det som en

turismverksamhet där tragiska händelser- gamla som nya och aktuella får turistiska besökare där de

får information om det som skett.

English translation: Darkt tourism is defined for me by many different actors. The original definition

by John Lennon and Foley are for me not following the others. For example media and other

academics that are working in that field. I defined those persons who have knowledge in that field. I

defined that as a tourism product where tragically event-new as old and popular gets tourist’s

visitors where they get information about what has happened.

Respondent 48: Dark tourism är som att besöka länder, krig eller att man skulle besöka Thailand efter

tsunamin

English translation: Dark tourism is like visiting countries, war or you could visit Thailand after the

tsunami

Respondent 49: I would say that its tourism in a history case. That you discover that darker side of a

history. Such as World War II and old battlefields

Respondent 50: Tourism that takes advantage of a dark past like shipwrecks or Auschwitz