Consuming dystopic places: What answers are we looking for?

Abstract

This paper aims to add to the debate around people's intimate experiences of dark, dystopic tourism sites in relation to a wider context of being in and perceiving the world, and sheds some light on new approaches to studying and managing tourist experiences in the dark tourism context. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to dark tourism research is introduced and utilized in this study. Turning attention to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the paper illustrates that in taking the bodily agency of those who consume dystopic, albeit to an extent commodified places, we can deepen understanding of the human experience and the ways they can be enhanced by tour operators and facilitated by guides that are conducting tours and curating the 'dark sites'. The paper concludes with a broader discussion concerning the ways situated knowledge is crucial to unpacking the complexities of commodified dark tourism sites and the processes in which the tourist experience is constructed, negotiated and delivered.