ABSTRACT
The visitation of deathscapes is not a new phenomenon. However, developments in mass media and globalisation have seen it grow so that those who are unconnected to the events wish to consume these sites. The balancing of the living who are personally impacted by the trauma, society, wider tourism and the needs of the dead is a difficult line to walk. This chapter explores the complexities of the process of moving from a site of trauma to one of dark tourism. This chapter highlights three main lessons to be learnt regarding balancing the needs of the living and the dead at sites of darkest tourism. It will use Auschwitz-Birkenau and Ground Zero as case studies to explore awareness of consumerism at the site and the purpose it serves, the need to reach a social consensus at the site to avoid misrepresentation and finally the idea that sites of death and tourism should be perceived and managed as something different to regular tourist attractions.
