Tracks & Topics

Romanian Academy

27th International Conference

29-31 May 2025

Vatra Dornei

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Types of Contributions

Tracks & Topics

Adventure Tourism

Agritourism

Anthropology of Tourism

Backpacking Tourism

Best Practices in Tourism Worldwide

Successful models and initiatives from around the globe

Business Tourism

Climate Change and Tourism

Community-Based Tourism

Cross-Border Cooperation and Tourism

Cultural Tourism

Dark Tourism

Climate change: How rising sea levels, extreme weather events, or changing ecosystems threaten the preservation of sites associated with historical tragedies, analyzing the strategies being implemented to adapt to these challenges, such as relocating artifacts, enhancing infrastructure, or developing new interpretive approaches that address the environmental context

Commodification of suffering: How sites associated with tragedy or horror are advertised to potential visitors, focusing on the language, imagery, and narratives used in marketing materials, analyzing whether these strategies commodify human suffering and how they impact public perception of the sites

Commemoration: How memorials (statues, plaques, interactive exhibits, etc.) at dark tourism sites contribute to the visitor experience and understanding of historical events, how memorials convey historical narratives and emotions, and how they impact visitors' reflections on the past and whether they inspire a deeper understanding or empathy for those affected by the events commemorated

Cultural heritage sites: How the increased visibility and foot traffic from dark tourism affect the physical and cultural preservation of dark tourism sites, analyzing the strategies employed by site managers to protect these sites while meeting the demands of tourists

Cultural and religious beliefs: How cultural and religious beliefs influence both the practice and perception of dark tourism, analyzing how different cultures and religions view death, tragedy, and memorialization, and how these views shape the development and management of dark tourism sites, and how visitor behaviour and motivations across different cultural and religious contexts influence what is considered appropriate or respectful in the context of dark tourism

Cultural sensitivity: How the histories and experiences of Indigenous peoples or other marginalized communities are told and whether they are accurately and respectfully represented, analyzing the involvement of these communities in the management and interpretation of these sites, looking at how they influence the narrative presented to visitors, and considering the potential for exploitation or misrepresentation

Economics: How local economies benefit from dark tourism, including revenue generation from entrance fees, guided tours, and related services like hospitality and retail, and the risks associated with economic dependence on dark tourism

Education: How guided tours and interpretive programs enhance visitor learning at dark tourism sites, analyzing the effectiveness of different educational strategies, such as storytelling, interactive exhibits, or multimedia presentations, in conveying complex historical events and their significance

Ethics: Analyzing tourist behaviours such as taking selfies at sites of tragedy or engaging in disrespectful actions, examining the motivations behind such behaviours and their ethical implications, and looking at site management practices, how sites are presented and marketed, questioning whether some practices commodify or trivialize human suffering. the study could also explore the responsibilities of site managers to educate visitors about appropriate behaviuor and to create an environment that fosters respectful remembrance

Evolution of dark tourism: The historical evolution of dark tourism, tracing its roots from ancient pilgrimages to sites of martyrdom or disaster to modern-day attractions, analyzing how the motivations, practices, and societal perceptions of dark tourism have changed over time, influenced by cultural, religious, and technological developments, and how modern dark tourism sites balance historical authenticity with contemporary tourist demands

Experience economy: How dark tourism sites are commercialized and packaged as unique experiences for tourists, analyzing the impact of this commercialization on the authenticity and integrity of the sites, and examining the expectations and behaviours of tourists who are seeking a particular type of experience, whether for education, thrill-seeking, or emotional engagement

Guided narratives: How guides use storytelling, interpretation, and personal insights to convey the history and significance of the site, and how their narratives influence visitors' emotional and cognitive responses, analyzing the training and ethical responsibilities of tour guides, particularly in ensuring that their presentations are respectful, accurate, and sensitive to the complexities of the site's history

Local communities: How the influx of tourists affects the local economy, infrastructure, and social dynamics while also considering the moral implications of commodifying sites of suffering and tragedy

Historical memory: The role dark tourism sites play in educating the public about historical events, particularly those related to conflict, genocide, or disaster, examining how different countries or cultures use these sites to foster a shared national or cultural identity, and analyzing the tensions that arise when different groups have competing narratives about the events commemorated at these sites, and how the sites negotiate these narratives to present a cohesive memory to visitors

Indigenous narratives: Examining whether Indigenous communities have control over how their histories are presented at dark tourism sites and how they engage with or resist dark tourism, analyzing the impact of dark tourism on Indigenous cultural preservation and the potential for these sites to educate visitors about Indigenous experiences, both past and present

Media: The ways in which films, documentaries, and news reports shape the narrative and attractiveness of dark tourism destinations, analyzing the effect of the release of certain war films on visits to battlefields or how documentaries about natural disasters influence tourism to those locations, and delving into how the portrayal of these sites in media affects visitors' expectations and perceptions, possibly creating a more romanticized or dramatized view of the site, which may differ from the historical reality

National identity: Specific case studies where governments or cultural institutions have curated dark tourism sites to promote a particular version of history, national pride, or collective memory, analyzing whether they contribute to a unified or contested understanding of national identity among citizens and visitors

Psychological effects: How these experiences impact visitors emotionally and cognitively, both immediately after the visit and in the longer term and how their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours may have changed as a result of the visit, examining whether visiting a dark tourism site leads to increased empathy, awareness of historical injustices, or changes in personal or social behavior

Psychological motivations: The psychological factors that drive individuals to visit dark tourism sites, such as former concentration camps, disaster zones, or sites of mass tragedies, comparing the motivations of visitors across different types of dark tourism sites, and examining whether factors like curiosity, education, remembrance, or thrill-seeking play varying roles depending on the nature of the site

Social justice: How visits to sites associated with human rights abuses, genocides, or other forms of social injustice influence visitors' attitudes and inspire them to engage in activism, examining the educational programs and interpretive strategies used at these sites to raise awareness of contemporary social justice issues

Sustainable practices: How site managers balance the need to preserve the historical and emotional integrity of sites associated with tragedy while also providing an engaging and informative experience for tourists

Thanatourism: The psychological and cultural factors that drive tourists' fascination with death (cemeteries, execution sites, death-related museums) and how thanatourism differs from other forms of dark tourism, analyzing the ethical implications of thanatourism, particularly in how these sites balance the representation of death with the sensitivities of visitors and local communities

Trauma survivors and descendant communities: How they perceive the influx of tourists and whether it helps with their healing process or exacerbates feelings of pain and loss, analyzing the role of dark tourism in keeping the memory of their experiences alive and whether it contributes to or undermines efforts at reconciliation and healing

Trauma tourism: The distinction between dark tourism (death, disaster, suffering, or the macabre) and trauma tourism (recent terrorist attacks, mass shootings, or natural disasters), the motivations behind both types of tourism, the ethical implications, and the impact on the sites and communities involved

Virtual and augmented reality: The use of virtual and augmented reality technologies in enhancing or replacing physical visits to dark tourism sites, analyzing the effectiveness of VR/AR in conveying the emotional and educational aspects of dark tourism, as well as the ethical implications of using these technologies to represent sites of tragedy

Virtual dark tourism: The reasons behind the rise of virtual dark tourism, such as accessibility, cost, or the desire to experience these sites from the safety and comfort of one's home, the potential benefits, such as wider accessibility to educational resources, and the drawbacks, such as the possible loss of emotional impact and authenticity

Visitor experiences: Qualitative methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, or ethnographic observation to explore how visitors process the information presented at dark tourism sites and how they emotionally engage with the history of tragedy or horror, analyzing factors that influence these responses, such as the design of the site, the use of narrative and storytelling, or the personal backgrounds of the visitors

Youth engagement: How young people, particularly Millennials (Generation Y) and Zoomers (Generation Z), engage with dark tourism sites, analyzing their motivations, the ways in which they interact with the history and narratives presented, how these experiences impact their understanding of historical events, and the potential for dark tourism to foster historical awareness and social consciousness among younger generations