Virtual Dark Tourism

Abstract

This study looks at some primary points in the discourse of virtual dark tourism (VDT) formation. Derived from the spectrum of sound branding (SB), virtual reality (VR), coupled with augmented reality (AR), the case is used as a tool to support the claims of VDT. Findings suggest viewpoints for making death sites exclusive, and offer valuable clues to the design of VDT formation as an option to include death sites as market offerings of dark tourism. Guided by social constructionist research philosophy, coupled with semiology and compositional interpretation, the analysis offers valuable clues to position sites built around the narratives of death. Not only does it verify elements of unique and emotional selling propositions in the typology of death sites, but it also signifies the emerging state of the art on the nexus between VDT and SB. Specifically, dark themed songs coupled AR are used as tourism drivers for designing Trunyan Cemetery, Bali. Overall, this review shows preliminary designs for prototype death sites. Several issues and directions for future research are discussed.

Applying mixed methods to explore lighter and darker shades in hybrid dark tourism experiences

“…First, previous research operationalizes lighter and darker sides of dark tourism from characteristics of dark tourism sites (Handayani et al, 2017;Magee and Gilmore, 2015;Tang, 2014). Specifically, darker and lighter aspects are determined, depending on whether the dark tourism site is directly related to human death or not.…”

“…Some sites are directly related to human death and disasters, while other sites are not. Depending on whether the dark tourism site is closely related to human death or not, the darker-lighter spectrum of dark tourism experiences arises (Handayani et al, 2017;Magee and Gilmore, 2015;Tang, 2014).…”

Virtual Dark Tourism

“…Adaptingcontemporarytheoryofbrandingingeneralandofpersonificationand/orimpression management on death sites in particular, Handayani, Ivanov and Korstanje (2017) indicated that the design revolves around philosophical views of Smart Tourism coupled with Slow Tourism. Development of a death site is thus based on emotional and unique selling propositions (Kotler, Armstrong,Saunders&Wong,1999).Thisisinlinewithstudiesthatsuggestthattheaiminselecting SBformarketofferingsistodevelopsoundcreationsthatarederivedfromthedetailsofbrandvalues andthatcharacterizethebrand (Westermann,2008).Therefore,theselectionofsound,referringto music,shouldbeappliedinlinewiththephilosophiesofsmartandslowtourism.Smarttourism indicatestheapplicationofICTinsupportingthesupplyaspectsofattractionsanddestinationattributes (Gretzel,Sigala,Xiang&Koo,2015;Neuhofer,Buhalis&Ladkin,2015),encouragingtheco-creation ofsharedvalues,e.g.User-GeneratedContent(UGC) (Arriga&Levina,2008;Gretzel,Fesenmaier, Lee&Tussyadiah,2010;Jovicic,2017).SlowtourismadvocatestheuseofSBatthe"rightspeed", i.e.thetempoofslowandlocaltravel (Honoré,2009;Dickinson&Lumsdon;Caffyn,2009: Oh,Assaf&Baloglu,2014.Bythistoken,whileproliferationofICTcanbeinterpretedastheuse ofAR,theterm"rightspeed"canbeinterpretedasthe"righttempo"ofSBthatincharacterizing thetypeofdeathsiteanditssharedvalues.Technically,SBinvolvesselectingsongsthatdenote elementsofdarknessinthecircleoflife.AsHandayaniandGeorge(2017)putit,peoplelearnto (re)livethegoodnessofbeingalive,beingvulnerable,beinghappyandbeingsad.Thesemaybethe mostintriguingaspectsoflifewhichbecomecommodifiedandmayormaynotbeusefultohuman revelationandcontemplation.…”