The long shadow: marketing Dachau

Visits to dark tourism sites, such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, can have lasting and profound impacts on visitors, fostering deeper reflection and resonance. However, the potential for these experiences to translate into empathy and compassion—key prerequisites for positive societal change—remains uncertain. The study employs interpretive qualitative social scientific methods to analyze tourist experiences at dark tourism sites, including battlefields of the First World War and a murder tour of London. Findings suggest that while such visits can lead to attitudinal shifts, their capacity to drive visitors towards compassion and action is questionable. This research advances understanding of dark tourism's social and political role in shaping attitudes and beliefs.

(Ed.). (2016). The long shadow: marketing Dachau. Dark Tourism, 38–51. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315575865-9