Year’s End is Also a Time of New Beginnings
December has arrived to close out the year, but it also marks the advent of this website. We hope you find it engaging, informative, and valuable – no matter what your interest in dark tourism or its interaction with youngsters may be.
To Each Their Own
In many parts of the world December also welcomes wintertime and cold, dark days and icy nights. Some can’t wait for the experience to end with the first warm breezes of a sunny springtime. But “winter people” have been waiting all year with anticipation because they are enlivened by the sight of bare trees under slouching gray skies. They get a thrill from hearing the crunch of ice underfoot. To each their own – each of us is unique and we all have our personal preferences. The same goes for tourism. Some gravitate toward cheerful tropical beaches and happy high-altitude mountain vistas – and cannot fathom why anyone would purposefully venture into scary places or go see exhibits depicting disease, gore, torture, and catastrophe. But others make a beeline to destinations that offer glimpses of the macabre and presentations that remind them of their own fragile mortality. They want to visit sites of death and destruction or places where they will be intentionally frightened in a way that feels to them like great fun.
Tourism as Diverse as its Tourists
But sometimes you encounter both ends of the spectrum under one roof. Take, for example, La Conciergerie, a marvelous architectural gem in Paris, France that’s designated as a World Heritage Site. You may go there specifically to behold the awe-inspiring vaulted ceilings and gracefully powerful arches of the former palace. But within the site’s multi-storied palatial grandeur you’ll also find relics of inhumane dungeons used during the 18th century Reign of Terror. Marie Antoinette occupied a prison cell there in the days prior to her public beheading. The Roman Colosseum is the largest amphitheater ever constructed, and one of the acclaimed Seven Wonders of the World. While grown-ups may marvel at the rare and magnificent antiquity of the place, children are often more focused on, and fascinated by, the 100s of cats scampering playfully amongst the ruins. But once upon a time, much bigger and fiercer cats devoured people on the same site. Then there’s the Smithsonian Museum, one of the world’s most astonishing tributes to human invention, innovation, and inspiration. Yet within its vast archives and uplifting displays there was a Renwick Gallery exhibition that showcased graphically detailed miniature crime scenes used to train homicide investigators. The human experience is indeed diverse, which is naturally reflected in the tourist attractions that engage us across the spectrum from light to dark.
Striking a Healthy Balance
Similarly, the ways that people understand life and death can significantly differ. For instance, children at a certain age and stage of development may have no real grasp of the finality and inevitability of death. Exposure to dark tourism sites may disturb them, and they may not have the emotional and cognitive capacity to navigate that experience. On the other hand, dark tourism may give them the illuminating insight and education needed to help them in their healthy growth and development.
So, how do we balance the need to safeguard children and young people with the desire to teach, inform, and engage them? This winter millions of kids will be eager to go sledding after a big snowfall and it can be good exercise and loads of fun. But adults have the responsibility to help ensure that those youngsters are dressed warmly and don’t accidentally injure themselves out there. In some ways, the goal of this website is not so different. The purpose and intent is to provide a platform to share well-researched resources, expert insights, and practical tips and support to those seeking a healthy balance when it comes to kids participating in dark tourism. Thank you for your interest and for helping to inspire and expand our outreach.