The dark tourism phenomenon in contemporary society: A critical review of literature [Il fenomeno del «dark tourism» nella società contemporanea: Una rassegna critica della letteratura]

Dark tourism is the act of travel to tourist sites associated with death, suffering or the seemingly macabre (Stone 2006, 146). This phenomenon is object of increasing attention from the scientific community, which has mainly focused on two interpretive keys. Indeed, there is 1) a more established literature that considers the dark tourism as a form of «collective effervescence», to approach the sacred and sublime dimension of death, 2) a set of contributions that have dealt with the process of commodification involving some experiences and destinations of dark tourism. It is assumed that the condition of both can be identifed in the conception of dark tourism as a carnival experience of liminality and some possible research developments are proposed.