Have you ever taken time out of a holiday to visit a place that you know will not be traditionally “fun” or is perhaps even a little macabre? Or maybe you’re someone whose idea of a holiday is to travel to a destination with a dark past? Dark tourism is not a new concept yet it has received a bit of attention in the media of late. Films and TV shows like Netflix’s Dark Tourist series and constant mentions of it on social media may have helped reignite the travel trend among curious travellers.

In a nutshell, dark tourism is described as travels to destinations with a dark history, specifically involving death or disaster – or both. Academics and travel experts have a more complex definition, of course. For example, dark tourism comes in many categories and sub-categories, and it can sometimes be cross referenced to other types of tourism like adventure travel.