Dark Tourism as a Form of Governmentality of Fear

Abstract

Although dark tourism attracts many scholars from different backgrounds, there is no consensus about its definition. Yet still, it is possible to classify the discussions revolving around the definition issue: The first group focuses on the descriptive side of dark tourism in terms of “sudden death and disaster,” while a second group gives priority to the existential dimension of the dark touristic interest in terms of “never-ending death and disaster.” However, fear appears as a surrounding component of both approaches. At that point, this study questions the relationship between the rise of dark touristic interest since the 1990s and the notion of governmentality of fear. In this respect, the study attempts to make bridge between the existential context of dark tourism and its political dimension with the Foucauldian terms, especially by shedding light on dark tourism in terms of “biopower technology.”