Tourism strategy for future war destinations

Abstract

[eng] Several contemporary social, cultural, and political tensions have resulted in places marked by death, desolation, and tragedy. The footprint of war has enabled the development of tourism in the affected areas. (Visit Ukraine, n.d). Modern travellers are increasingly drawn to these places as they seek “more authentic and unique travel experiences” (Xherald, 2023). One of the most wellknown places in Europe that responds to this demand is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. In this context, there is a term that has been “growing in popularity” (Intelligence, 2023) in recent years called “dark tourism”, “a form of tourism that involves visiting real or recreated places associated with death, suffering, disgrace, or the macabre” (Stone, 2006). Focusing on tourism companies, the main objective of the present study is to create a sustainable and modern tourism strategy to serve as a guide for the development and management of destinations categorized as "war tourism," a subtype within the “dark tourism" phenomenon (Fonseca, Seabra & Silva 2016). Specifically, it is aimed that this strategy serves as a guide for the possible future war destinations that will arise due to the current conflicts in Ukraine. As secondary objectives, it will be argued how war tourism is an effective strategic plan to revitalize places affected by war, both economically and in terms of awareness. Furthermore, this study seeks to mitigate the stigma associated with of war tourism as “being disrespectful to the victims” (Ukraine war tourism plan draws flak, sparks ethical debates, s. f.). by emphasizing education as the main purpose of engaging in war tourism (Turismo oscuro, n.d).