The Relationship of the Local Community and Dark Tourism Development

Abstract

The attitudes of local communities towards the development of dark tourism are still underexplored. This thorough analysis of the scientific knowledge available in renowned databases in the period from 2013 to 2019 aims at explaining the role of local communities in dark tourism, the advantages and disadvantages of its development, and the understanding of the conditions needed for its acceptance and support. The analysis has determined that every practice of dark tourism is conditioned by the context within which it was created, and that it has economic, socio-cultural and environmental advantages and disadvantages. The support of the local community for the development of dark tourism is crucial for its continuous existence, and it can depend on the management strategies and the benefits that dark tourism provides. The research results contribute to the corpus of literature, and may inform strategic guidelines for dark tourism management, as well as benefit the wider community through awareness of the necessity of prevention of tragic events. Further research on the topic should create management strategies of dark tourism that are acceptable to local communities.