IngentaConnect The Buried village, New Zealand An example of dark tourism?

Authors: Ryan, Chris¹; Kohli, Rahul¹

Source: Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Volume 11, Number 3, September 2006 , pp. 211-226(16)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

In 1886, the explosion of Mount Tarawera resulted in the loss of 150 lives and the burial of the village of Te Wairoa, the base from which tourists had visited the Pink and White Terraces, a silicone-stained natural formation then advertised as one of the natural wonders of the world. Since 1931, the buried site has itself been a tourist attraction and Smith and Croy have argued that it serves as an example of “dark tourism”. This paper uses a different methodology to argue that Lennon and Foley's original definition of dark tourism is precise, that the buried village of Te Wairoa does not meet that specification, but does support the model suggested by Sharpley, that the site's characteristics are those of grey tourism supply. However, the findings derived from a sample of over 600 respondents indicate that sites are complex packages of potential experiences, and are potentially multi-faceted in terms of the experiences they offer. It is also suggested that cultural components might play a role in the experience of what is “dark” about a site.

Keywords: dark tourism; tourist experience; New Zealand

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/10941660600753240

Affiliations: 1: Department of Tourism Management, The University of Waikato, New Zealand

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The Buried village, New Zealand - An example of dark tourism?