In love with the darkness: topophilia and thana-tourism

We draw from forty-two walking interviews undertaken with dark tourists at some Europe’s darkest sites to examine the potential for Topophilia. In doing so we contribute to the literature by revealing five topophilic domains (1) Infatuation (2) Transformation, (3) Enchantment, (4) Atmosphere and (5) Bonding ceremonies that create, forge and cement attachment to dark sites and a love of them. Additionally data indicates that some sites take on a sense of home offering privacy, limited intrusion and a sense of security. Critically the study enriches our understanding of dark tourists, dark sites, place centred knowledge and we identify both the cognitive and affective elements that underpin place attachment, and indeed love for dark sites. We additionally introduce the concept of ‘Dark Utopia’s, sites that encapsulate dark tourists experiential needs.