Experiencing human identity at dark tourism sites of natural disasters

Abstract

Identifying with all humanity is a desirable quality, especially during times of climate change and pandemics. An exploration of human identity remains an under-researched area in tourism studies. This study explores the salience of human identity among visitors in a dark tourism context. Built on self-categorisation theory, this research contributes to the dark tourism literature by highlighting the significance of human identity in the dark tourism context and investigating what underpins the salience of human identity. Data were collected from 196 visitors in situ, across four dark tourism sites of natural disasters, using semi-structured interviews. Although the sites are geographically and culturally different, the study reveals that post natural disaster settings can heighten human identity. The prominence of human identity is underpinned by external stimuli and an understanding of human identity attributes. The results offer valuable and timely insights into the planning and interpretation of post natural disaster sites.