ICT and Dark Tourism

Akira Ide OtemonGakuin University

Today’s Contents

1. Introduction: What is Dark Tourism？

2. Relationships

between Tourism and ICT in Japan.

3. Characteristics of Dark Tourists

4. ICT from the Viewpoint of Dark Tourism

5.Conclusion

１．IntroductionWhat is Dark Tourism？

• Originally, this concept was made by

Prof. John Lennon & Prof. Malcolm

Foley

(Glasgow Caledonian University)

←start from 1996

• Apart from tourism as leisure,

Dark tourism deals with tragic

historical sites connected to war,

disaster ,etc. In short, they are the

lamentable heritages of human beings.

The 1st book was published on 2000

Auschwitz

Lugano : Experience the Swiss Bunkerhttp://www.ticino.ch/fr/commons/details/Experience-the-Swiss-Bunker/114031.html

１．Introduction In Japanese Situation I

• Many natural disasters

Though England is core of research……..

In research books, “This theme discusses war traces , disaster ,etc.”However, there are few instances of natural disasters in Europe. On the other hand , we Japanese experienced a lot of natural disasters.

Differences in kinds of disastersi．Earthquake

Differences in kinds of disastersii．Tsunami

Differences in kinds of disastersiii．Volcano Disaster

Differences in kinds of disastersiV．Typhoon

１．IntroductionIn Japanese Situation II

• Experience of Atomic BombThe Japanese experienced Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• So we must proceed the research of

Dark Tourism with special responsibility.

2 Relationship between Tourism and ICTin Japan.

• Not advanced

• Reasons

Two types of Main consumers 1.Elder people over 60 years

2.Middle-aged women groups

They have problems about digital divide.

3 Characteristics of Dark Tourists

• Dark tourism locations are associated with grief. ->Dark tourists have a high-level awareness of the liberal arts. =They are sophisticated, and generally have higher- level academic backgrounds and higher income levels. =People who enjoy dark tourism belong to the top layer of the digital divide.They enjoy travelling alone or with a small group.->ICT has good relationships with dark tourists.

4 ICT from the Viewpoint of Dark Tourism

4.1 Augmented Reality (AR)

4.2 3-D Data

4.3 e-Government

4.4 Digital Archive

4.5 Digital Map

4.1 Augmented Reality (AR)

• It is Important whether the remnants of an old building should be retained or not.

AR technology can display objects such as buildings even after the remnants are erased.

4.2 3-D Data• Ozuchi town collected 3-D about the destroyed

buildings in the town hall after the Great Japan earthquake.

Such 3-D data will be useful for many purposes such as the reconstruction of buildings or education. After removing the remnants, data cannot be recorded. Therefore, data about the remnants should be recorded before the remnants are removed, and this data should be available.

4.3 e-Government ( i )

It may be difficult to combine dark tourism content and leisure content on the same map. This is a map of Ueno village where big plane accident happened.

4.3 e-Government ( ii )

For dark information, which cannot be combined with other information, the Internet is very useful. In fact, on the top page, there is a link for information on climbing for prayers, and the content about climbing for prayers is located separate from the leisure and tourism content (http://www.vill.ueno.gunma.jp/index.html).

4.4 Digital Archive• Digital archives have

been employed for recording and transmitting concrete or nonconcrete content on cultural areas.

• Information inside digital archives possesses certain tags. Tags are keywords.

4.5 Digital Map(i)• GIS indicate that content about ‘who said what, and when’ are

linked with location data and this content is archived on a digital map.

Hiroshima archiveis significant examples of this type of research. These kinds of archives recorded the voices of the people who lived in those areas, and shows their memories’ .

4.5 Digital Map(ii)This type of memory system is very useful for dark tourists. Storytellers are often well informed on dark tourism locations;

However, because these experiences are very personal, so it is difficult to understand all situations about tragedy. By using this system, we can understand all situation of the tragedy like Hiroshima Atomic bomb.

5.Conclusion

• This study shows that ICT offers key technologies for dark tourism.

• ICT certainly has uses in dark tourism, which is a new type of tourism. Therefore, when tourism informatics is studied, it is important for researchers and engineers to carefully consider the state of dark tourism.