Morbid tourism - a postmodern market niche with an example from Althorp

Abstract

Tourist attractions focusing on accidents and sudden violent death are being produced and consumed in ever growing numbers. This paper discusses and exemplifies this form of tourism, which I term morbid tourism. Every year tourists in large numbers visit Elvis Presley's grave in Graceland, Jim Morrison's in Paris and Princess Diana's at Althorp in England. Battlefields, places where accidents have occurred and ghost walks in old castles are other examples of a kind of attraction which draws tourists and which can be included under the heading of morbid tourism. Here my primary interest is on the former type. In the wake of this form of tourism we see the emergence of increasingly sophisticated commercial activity. In this context I concentrate on the enormous attention that has been directed towards Princess Diana after her death and on her grave at Althorp.