Dark Tourism in Barpak, Gorkha

Abstract

Now a days, people are fascinated with death and disaster. Since most studies of Dark tourism related to holocaust, atrocities, deaths and disaster relating to motivations and benefits toward the deaths and suffering sites, this research study examines the dark tourism in Barpak, Gorkha, the epicentre of the earthquake 2015 where the understanding of dark tourism is very limited and the visitors and locals are barely aware of the concept of dark tourism. Nepal hit by the earthquake in 2015 having the epicentre in Barpak, Gorkha which made the huge suffering, there is the need to develop and promote the dark tourism in the place where motivation, authenticity and the experience play the greatest role in promoting dark tourism in Barpak. By employing three data sources: document review, interview and direct observation, this research study assesses theoretical understanding of the dark tourism, the society and culture of the disaster sites, the motivation of the visitors, beneficial aspects of the dark tourism, pull factors of dark tourism, changing trend of visitors in Barpak over pre, during and post-Earthquake 2015 and prospects of dark tourism in Barpak. The study finds that cultural values, history and heritage, deaths and dying, survivor‟s guilt, education, remembrance, edutainment, artifacts, role of media are the primary aspects in promoting dark tourism in Barpak. The study also finds that accessibility, accommodation and reconstructions are the primary challenges of dark tourism in Barpak. The study concludes by offering the key summary of the findings of the research.