Resident perception of dark tourism impact: the case of Beichuan County, China

'Dark tourism' has become an accepted terminology in tourism academics, but there are omissions in its research. Often it concentrates on the nature of the event and the psychological consequences for tourist. Rarely has the research considered ideas of the local residents. This study thus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of tourism and cultural change 2018-10, Vol.16 (5), p.463-481
Main Authors: Wang, Jinwei, Luo, Xianrong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic staff
attitude
Attitudes
Dark tourism
Perceptions
Questionnaires
Relatives
resident perception
Terminology
the Great Sichuan Earthquake
Tourism
Tourism development
tourism impact
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Summary:'Dark tourism' has become an accepted terminology in tourism academics, but there are omissions in its research. Often it concentrates on the nature of the event and the psychological consequences for tourist. Rarely has the research considered ideas of the local residents. This study thus examines the perceptions and attitudes of local residents. Beichuan County in Sichuan Province of China, where the Great Sichuan Earthquake occurred in 2008, was considered as the research site. Survey questionnaires were undertaken in site plus the use of the web to capture the views of younger family members no longer working in the immediate area. The total sample numbered 516 respondents. Analyses indicated that in the dark tourism contexts residents' perceptions of tourism impacts confirm the three traditional dimensions - economical, socio-cultural and environmental; residents tended to form positive attitudes towards dark tourism development. ANOVAs particularly found that no differences existed in the perceptions and attitudes towards dark tourism development among people who had experienced different levels of sufferings or economic losses. Such observations help to solve the debates between the proponents and opponents of dark tourism. Based on the findings, discussions and dialogues with the literature are provided.
ISSN:1476-6825
1747-7654
DOI:10.1080/14766825.2017.1345918