Abstract
This chapter summarizes the major developments and ideas in the field of dark tourism to seismic memorial sites. In recent years many memorial sites regarding seismic hazards including earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic eruption have been established, and at least the epicenter of major earthquake have been marked. However, consumption of dark tourism attraction related to seismic memorials is highly controversial; and the continuing popularity of and fascination with such sites remains a subject of dark touristic debate. The purpose of this chapter is to address wide-ranging studies of dark tourism to memorial sites of seismic hazards such as earthquake, or seismic wave-induced disaster like tsunami and volcanic eruption. The chapter is structured around a series of conceptual themes and debates that have emerged from the literature. This includes an appraisal of the following aspects: creation of seismic memorial sties as a contested phenomenon; consumption of seismic legacy as an ethical dilemma; perception of travel risks mediated with destination image; multi-dimensional experiences interpreted from the visit to seismic attractions. It concludes by discussing the future research and thematic directions of dark tourism to such sites within social, cultural, historical, and political contexts.
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Tang, Y. (2018). Dark Tourism to Seismic Memorial Sites. In: R. Stone, P., Hartmann, R., Seaton, T., Sharpley, R., White, L. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Dark Tourism Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-47566-4_18
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