Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Dark Tourism: Motivations, Experiences, and Meaning-Making of International Tourists

This study investigates the motivations, cultural perceptions, and lived experiences of tourists visiting dark tourism sites across various cultural contexts. Applying a qualitative constructivist–interpretivist approach, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 visitors from South Asian and non-South Asian backgrounds who had personal experiences with dark tourism sites. This research shows how tourists’ desires and emotional engagements are determined by familial narratives, media representations, historical awareness, and ethical demonstration. In this study, thematic analysis revealed six significant motivational dimensions: historical curiosity, education, commemoration, mourning, thrill-seeking, and morbid fascination. Cross-cultural differences emerged, with South Asian participants interpreting dark tourism sites through the lens of collective trauma and national identity, while non-South Asian visitors prioritized empathy, moral reflection, and educational activities. These findings demonstrate that dark tourism is a culturally mediated form of remembrance that comes of emotion, history, and ethics. The contribution of this study is developing more inclusive and contextually sensitive interpretations of dark tourism globally.