Children, Young People and Dark Tourism

This book is the first its kind to offer an innovative examination of the intersecting influences, contexts, and challenges within the field of children’s dark tourism. It also outlines novel conceptualizations and methods for scholarship in this overlooked field.

Presently, tourism research, and in dark tourism specifically, relies primarily on adult-centered theories and data collection methods. However, these approaches are inadequate for understanding and developing children’s experiences and perspectives. This book seeks to inform and inspire research on children’s experiences of dark tourism. Designed to appeal to students and scholars, it brings together insights from leading experts. The book focuses on five themes, to explore the conceptual and historic origins of children’s dark tourism, developmental contexts, child perspectives, specific contexts relevant to children’s encounters, and methodological approaches.

This book is aimed at an international array of scholars and students with inherent research interests in the contemporary commodification of death and ’difficult heritage’ within the visitor economy. Thus, the book will provide a multi-disciplinary scope within the fields of history, heritage studies, childhood studies, psychology, education, sociology, human geography, and tourism studies. The volume is primarily intended for undergraduate and postgraduate study, as well as scholars and tourism professionals.

Mary Margaret Kerr is Professor of Health and Human Development at the University of Pittsburgh, where she founded the Children and Dark Tourism research project. Dr. Kerr’s internationally recognized team, which includes youth as researchers, studies the experiences of young tourists at dark tourism sites. In addition to contributing her expertise on youth coping with mass trauma, Dr. Kerr has pioneered research in child-centered research methods for the tourism field, which historically has overlooked children and youth.

Philip R. Stone is Executive Director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of ’dark tourism’ and ’difficult heritage’ and has published extensively about the subject. Philip is also a media consultant on dark tourism, with clients including the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. His latest book, the first-ever tourist guidebook dedicated to dark tourism - 111 Dark Tourism Places in England You Shouldn’t Miss (2021) - brings dark tourism scholarship to the public market.

Rebecca H. Price writes about the novice researcher experience. She frequently collaborates across disciplines and settings to explore how individuals seek answers to their questions. Her work can be found in library, education, and tourism outlets.