Sorokdo as a combined dark tourism site of leprosy and colonized past

2020/06/03 by Eun-Hye Choung, Suh‐hee Choi · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration #Geographies of human-animal interactions #Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior

paper · doi:10.1080/10941665.2020.1767666

openalex publication_date 2020/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06

Abstract

This paper explores the potentials of and issues with managing Sorokdo as a dark tourism site themed with a combination of leprosy and a heritage reflecting colonialism. Based on on-site observations and interviews, this study identifies dark tourism elements in Sorokdo, perceptions of them, and their development. Then it discusses the consideration in developing Sorokdo as a dark tourism destination. The results show that a careful treatment of tourism elements and the residents is crucial. Understandings of different motivations of tourists and ethically sensitive interpretations, which would awaken awareness about leprosy and its dark historical facts, are suggested.

Citations

• Dark tourism and postcolonial studies: critical intersections
• There's No Such Thing as Culture: Towards a Reconceptualization of the Idea of Culture in Geography

Cited by

• Sorokdo [wikipedia]

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