Are dark tourism experiences memorable? Examining mindfulness and memorable tourism experiences in dark tourism

Dark tourism continues to gain greater attention in the tourism literature. While such sites provide novel experiences, research about the tourists’ experience at dark tourism sites and memorability of visits is lacking. This study applied mindfulness theory and the memorable tourism experience (MTE) construct (with an adverse feeling dimension), to a dark tourism setting. Empirically, mindfulness, MTE dimensions (i.e., hedonism, involvement, meaningfulness, refreshment, knowledge, novelty, local culture, and adverse feeling), and word of mouth (WOM) were investigated. A structural model explored sixteen proposed hypotheses based on data from 264 Korean tourists who had visited a South Korean dark tourism site. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results indicated that mindfulness influenced all MTE dimensions and specific dimensions (hedonism, involvement, meaningfulness, and knowledge) of MTEs influenced WOM intention. Study findings serve to provide insight into how memorable tourist experiences at dark tourism sites can be enhanced.