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UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

MOTIVATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES OF TOURISTS EXPLORING DARK

TOURISM: A CASE STUDY OF DARK TOURISM ATTRACTIONS

AT BAGUIO CITY

A Thesis

Presented to the College of Business and Accountancy

University of Caloocan City

In Partial Fulfilment

Of the Degree of

Bachelors of Science in Tourism Management

By:

Aguiba, Aljielethe Pauline Shajar C. Francisco, Joe Marie L.

Atejano, Czekaina P. Fulgencio, Del John R.

Canlas, Maxine R. Lachica, Lovic G.

Dela Cruz, Jazellyne P. Palicios, Sherryllin B.

Doon, Camille R. Zantua, Angelica S.

2023
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter includes the Introduction, Background of the Study,

Statement of the Problem, Scope and Delimitation, and Significance of the Study.

Introduction

The most conventional, ever-changing, and biggest industry that every

country has is tourism. It is essential to build, nurture, and flourish the rich culture

and tradition every country has to offer. Tourism also is capable of building

nations together, bringing the economy, and other factors to the top. Thus,

overall, tourism is a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon in which it entails

the movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment

for personal or business/professional purposes. People who visit one country are

called visitors, either tourists or excursionists from which tourism has involved

from tourist’s activities and some involve tourism expenditures. It is believed to

be the economic generator of every country and has a significant contribution to

the globalization and improvement of an industry of a country stated by Leonard


J. Lickorish in his book ‘An Introduction to Tourism’. In the Philippines on the
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
other hand,DEPARTMENT
according OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

to the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2018, the contribution of the tourism

industry in the Philippines is approximately 12.7% or almost equivalent to 15

billion pesos. This helps the country to innovate and invest in more feasible and

sustainable projects that help the government build jobs, opportunities,

infrastructure and such. As everyone knows, the tourism industry is one of the

biggest contributors in the Philippines wherein tourism witnesses a global growth

that will be a big help for the future, and by means of growth, here includes better

and more skilled tourism professionals that will be a part of this growth. Hence,

the different types of tourism and its importance. Being aware of these types

helps the consumer or the tourists identify from what category the consumers

belong, and in order for them to find the motivation they need while traveling.

Visiting different countries also means identifying what type of tourism you are in.

In order to know the various types of tourism, researchers will discuss the basic

and most important types of tourism which are heritage tourism, cultural tourism,

medical tourism, eco-tourism, and dark tourism.

Background of the Study


Dark Tourism is very prominent because of its relation to educational

tourism. Although
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
someOF
people don’t
DEPARTMENT TOURISM ANDenjoy the chilling
HOSPITALITY stories
INDUSTRY and history behind
MANAGEMENT

these places, many people still enjoy the educational aspect that tags along with

it, specifically those tourist attractions that hosted holocausts, tragedies, and

such. Dark tourism encompasses visiting locations connected to death, tragedy,

and pain, such as areas impacted by natural disasters, warfare, criminal acts,

and genocide. This type of tourism has become increasingly popular in recent

years, attracting individuals for either historical or educational reasons, or a

desire to experience the macabre. Although it has faced opposition, dark tourism

remains a growing trend and the impact it has on local communities and the

travel industry is still being studied. The complexity of dark tourism is influenced

by various factors including the difference between visiting places of recent death

and disaster versus pre-planned trips to historical death sites, the distinction

between intentionally created attractions versus unintentional tourist sites (such

as graveyards), the driving force behind visiting dark sites (such as a fascination

with death), and the motivation behind creating these sites (e.g. politics,

education, entertainment, or profit). The Chernobyl, The Looming Tower, The

Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Schindler’s List, and the likes are few of the movies

and TV shows that covers the dark history of holocausts and other tragedies that
struck the world. Dark Tourism, also known as Thanatourism (a form of tourism

where tourists
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
visit sitesOF
primarily
DEPARTMENT TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

associated with death and disaster) is tourism that is associated with death or

tragedy. It gains a lot of attention especially from tourists who seek thrilling tourist

sites and attractions that once was a place of trials and tribulations. These

tourists’

attractions got several controversies from different people including the fact that it

may be disrespecting the place and its victims. Others may also think that these

are all caused by unethical practices made by people who exploit and make a

profit out of it. According to the recent publication of Kevin Fox Gotham, dark

tourism is “the circulation of people to places characterized by distress, atrocity,

or sadness and pain. As a more specific component of dark tourism, “disaster

tourism.” Dark Tourism has become the main topic of debates for years due to its

divided opinion. Motivators is something that gives ideas or motivation to act,

Dark experiences is one of the objective of the travelers to visit dark tourism

sites, travelers engaging to the dark tourism sites are curious, interested, and

enthralled by dark experiences with paranormal activity, resulting in travel

decisions made for themselves based on personal beliefs and preferences, with

little outside influence from others. In terms of attitudes and subjective norms, it

was determined that dark experience was the most influential of the dark tourism
constructs tested. Travelers and Tourists may visit dark tourism because it is like
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
engaging entertainment
DEPARTMENT OFthrough
TOURISM gaining emotionINDUSTRY
AND HOSPITALITY to the MANAGEMENT
destinations they are

going to visit or travelers and tourists may visit dark tourism because of the

curiosity to see the reality or the truth behind the media images. Furthermore,

travelers are seeking unique learning experiences when they travel, travelers

also exploring dark tourism to make new discoveries. In some cases, tourists

may visit the destination for reasons other

than dark tourism (e.g., photography, education). Travelers’ motivations for

visiting dark heritage sites discovered that, whereas the concept of death was

incorporated to enhance tourists' experiences, the dark tourism sites were

primarily for educational and memorial purposes, and thus became places of

commemoration, admiration, and learning. In addition, certain tourists (i.e.,

sightseers, retreaters, and passive recreationalists) were classified as

"incidental" because their visits were frequently unplanned. Instead of visiting to

witness events related to death and burials, these tourists came for general

interests in the area or to escape the stresses of everyday life. Tourists may

unknowingly encounter dark tourism if they are looking for something to do while

on vacation and happen upon a dark tourism destination or activity. This study is

conducted to understand the motivators of the tourists travelling to dark tourism

destinations. Dubbed as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines'', Baguio City


welcomes millions of tourists every year. For travelers who seem to seek grim

and haunted
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
sites, Baguio City isAND
theHOSPITALITY
perfect place considering that it is also
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

recognized as one of the most haunted places in the country that has witnessed

multiple tragedies like the 1990 Luzon earthquake. Diplomat Hotel is a historic

building situated at Dominican Hill in Baguio City. It once served as a rest house

and a seminary way back in 1911 before it was developed into a school and

eventually a hotel. The hotel is known for being the most haunted building in the

Philippines as it holds a dark

history. There are a lot of stories circulating about the history of the Diplomat

Hotel, and tourists who have been to this place also shared their experiences. As

a result, travelers choose Diplomat Hotel because they want to witness the chill

and unexplainable feeling while wandering in the hotel. Some also visit the hotel

to pray for lost souls. On the other hand, the Teachers' Camp in Baguio is also

gaining attention for being one of the dark tourism sites in Baguio City. Governor

William Pack was the one who planned to set up a camp in Baguio to

accommodate teachers. Tourists who already stayed in Teacher's Camp share

one thing - that is their unexplainable "ghost experience" stories. Some wanted to

prove or witness if the stories are true which is why they chose to stay in the

Teacher's Camp. In addition, the Laperal White House in Baguio is one of the

first places local residents seem to mention when tourists ask about the haunted
places in Baguio. Owned by the Laperal family, the oldest clan in Baguio, it was
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
built in the DEPARTMENT
1920s. Curiosity about AND
the HOSPITALITY
history of the Laperal White House is one
OF TOURISM INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

of the reasons why tourists visit the Laperal White House. Also, some people

tend to visit the Laperal White House for a "ghost hunting experience", especially

now that it is open to the public giving the tourists the opportunity to wander

around the vicinity of the place. One of the goals of visitors to dark tourism sites

is to have dark experiences. Visitors to dark tourism sites are curious, interested,

and enthralled by dark experiences with paranormal activity, resulting in travel

decisions made for themselves based on

personal beliefs and preferences, with little outside influence from others. In this

study, the researchers will discover the different impacts, negative and positive

effects of the tourist's motivators when they travel in the tourist destinations

involving dark tourism in Baguio City.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to scrutinize the Motivations and Perspectives of Tourists

Exploring Dark Tourism: A Case Study of Dark Tourism Attractions at Baguio

City. Specifically, it sought to answer the following question as to:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of;


1.1 Name (optional),

1.2 Gender,
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

1.3 Age,

1.4 Civil Status and

1.5 Educational Attainment?

2. What are the motivators of the respondents on exploring Dark Tourist sites

in Baguio City in terms of;

2.1 New experience,

2.2 Gain knowledge and

2.3 Satisfaction?

3. What are the perspectives of the respondents on exploring Dark Tourist

sites in Baguio City in terms of;

3.1. Dark History,

3.2. Ambiance,

3.3. Density,

3.4 Curiosity and

3.5 Affordability

4. What are the significant differences of the Motivations and Perspectives of

Tourists Exploring Dark Tourism: A Case Study of Dark Tourism

Attractions at Baguio City in above variables mentioned?


5. What are the recommendations to be proposed?
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

Hypothesis

Based on the question number 4 in the Statement of the Problem, the


following hypothesis is formulated:

Alternative Hypothesis: There is a significant difference between variables

mentioned in the motivators and the perspectives of the respondents who want to

travel Dark Tourism Sites in Baguio City.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study focuses on the motivations and perspectives of tourists exploring dark

tourism in Baguio City. It will be conducting on the following tourist attractions in

Baguio City. The researchers selected three (3) particular attractions in Baguio

City, Diplomat Hotel, Laperal White House, and Teacher’s Camp. The

researchers will provide survey questionnaires to gather information from the

respondents. Online Survey Questionnaire through Google forms is the main tool

in data gathering and this study was conducted during the Academic Year 2023.

Significance of the study


This study aims to identify the possible reasons why dark tourism is still

famous among
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
travelers and whether it can help boost MANAGEMENT
the country's tourism
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

economy. Specifically, this will help the following in their fields;

Tourism Students. This study will be a medium of learning to their chosen

course, as well as the understanding why some tourists prefer to travel places

that are considered to be dark tourism;

Schools. This study might be used as a resource in explaining the tourism

industry, specifically tapping "dark tourism" topics; and

Communities. This study will help them with business ideas if the place they

were living in was considered to have a dark tourist spot;

Tour Operators. This study will help them to reach more visitors and potential

customers when they enveloped dark tourism as one of the main tours that they

offer;

Tourists/Travelers. This may help them with the knowledge of why some of

them consider visiting creepy places which are unlikely to some that they prefer a

happy place;

Future Researchers. This study can help them build their next topic for a

research proposal and conduct. Moreover, in addition with their schema in

identifying and explaining dark tourism.


UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter includes the review of related literature and review of related

studies on the Motivators and Perspective of Tourists in Exploring Dark Tourism

Attractions

Tourist Exploring Dark Tourism

On a global scale, every person moves, participates, and involves different

tourism activities on which they can benefit. The reason people do these tourism
activities is because, people are naturally living to discover, witness and indulge
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
themselves,DEPARTMENT
for their own satisfaction. Thus, the INDUSTRY
United Nations World Tourism
OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Organization declared that “Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling

to and staying in places outside of their usual environment for not more than one

consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes”. Individuals become

tourists when they voluntarily leave their normal surroundings, where they reside,

to visit another environment. These individuals will usually engage in different

activities, regardless of how close or how far this environment is (Camilleri,

2018).

Regardless of the movement of people on which they participate in tourism

activities, it is very familiar to people that their goal to visit and explore is to enjoy

and seize the moment. As per the book of Tourism, 2nd Edition by Peter

Robinson, Michael Luck, and Stephen Smith (2020), “For many, tourism is a

source of fun or relaxation; something people do during time off from work or

during retirement.” Aside from the enjoyness and leisure tourism brought to the

people, tourism also has thousands of agendas and objectives wished to fulfill.

According to UNWTO (2023) “Tourism fosters knowledge, education, and

capacity building”. Training, assessments and providing networks for education


creating multitudes of partnerships to the world. “Building partnerships: Engaging

with the private


UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
sector,OF
regional
DEPARTMENT TOURISMand
ANDlocal tourismINDUSTRY
HOSPITALITY organizations, academia and
MANAGEMENT

research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable,

responsible and competitive tourism sector” Added by UNWTO Purpose and

objectives of tourism would not be fulfilled without the existence of action- and

that action of doing tourism will be done through the process of transportation. 

As per the statement of Camilleri in “The Tourism Industry: An Overview” (2018),

“Tourism would not exist to the extent that it does today if tourists are not able to

travel from one destination to another, in a quick and efficient manner.

Transportation is what makes this possible. The transportation available to the

tourist can be divided into air, water and land. The tourists’ need for

transportation can be divided into three

groups: transportation from the point of origin to the host country (destination)

and return; transportation between host destinations, where tourists travel to

more than one destination; and transportation within host destinations”. 

On the other hand, the Philippines has significant and remarkable places in

which tourists planned to go and discover, thus, the Philippine's tourism sector

contributes and generates big amounts of percentage to the economy of the

country itself. As per the study of Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez in 2019, it is said that
“tourism continues to grow as a significant industry generating economic growth

and development
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
in theOF
Philippines.”
DEPARTMENT TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

In 2019, the Philippines received a record breaking 8,260,913 visitor arrivals,

boasting 15.24% increase from the previous year (Department of Tourism, 2020).

These arrivals accounted for USD 11.4 billion visitor receipts in the same year,

recording an 18.80% improvement from 2018 (World Bank, 2021; Figure 1.3).

These figures reflect the power of tourism as a major economic contributor,

especially for developing countries like the Philippines. Indeed, tourism has

become one of the pillars of the Philippine economy accounting for USD$ 90

billion (22.5%) of its GDP in 2019 (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020). While

these numbers seem promising for the country’s tourism industry and local

destinations, several management issues arising from this recent growth should

be given

attention. Regardless of how or why individuals travel, there are some

fundamental requirements that travelers expect from destinations. Tourism

researchers and developers say that there are several key elements that are

essential to the success of a tourist destination. Here comes the 5As of tourism:

which are the Accommodation, Accessibility, Activities, Amenities, and

Attractions. 
Furthermore, Tourism is really the standard of change on which people rely on,

to look unto,
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
and to evolve on a wide
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND basis. According
HOSPITALITY to the
INDUSTRY book of Stephen J.
MANAGEMENT

Page, and Joanne Connell, the “Tourism: A Modern Synthesis”, (2020), “Tourism

is a part of the global process of change and development (known as

globalization) which is no longer confined to the developed countries that

traditionally provided the demand for world travel”. Also they added “In this

respect, understanding the pace of change in tourism is more complex as the

forces of change are diverse and not homogenous”.  Now that tourism is ever-

changing, battles, problems, and circumstances are rattling the world and tourism

has a huge impact on how the world will change if these circumstances occur.

For example, COVID-19 Pandemic really stopped everything that is happening to

the world, thus, limiting tourism forces, at worst, even closing its doors to the

public. “COVID-19 is widely recognised as a challenge or even a game-changer

for travel and tourism.” (Higgins Desbiolles, 2020). Beyond these problems, the

tourism sector ceased to find and answer and still maximize its power as of

today.

Tourist in the Philippines can be classified into domestic and international tourist

since both are the targets of tourism industry. Javier (2007) defined tourist as any

person is a potential tourist to any tourist spots regardless of what country they

are from in the book Health and Wellness Tourism: Focus on the Philippines.
Domestic tourists are described as local individuals who travel within the country
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
while international tourists are foreign nationals that travels to another country
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

with an intention of temporarily staying for a certain period of time, Tourists are

further classified by Libosada (2010) as to overnight tourists and same-day

tourist. Overnight tourist refers to a visitor who spent his/her night away from

home, Same-day tourist refers to those that do not spend the night in a collective

or private accommodation in the place visited. Tourist may be classified

according to length to stay, purpose, origin of the traveler, distance traveled, type

of accommodation used and mode of transport used. Chuck Gee, et al. (1997)

refer to these variables as the dimensions of travel. The World Trade

Organization classifies visitors into Tourist or overnight visitor and Same day

visitor.

A tourist or overnight visitor is a visitor who stays at least one night in a collective

or private accommodation in the country or place visited. They include non-

nationals or foreigners, not resident crewmembers who use the accommodation

establishments of the place visited, and nationals residing abroad who are on a

visit.

Same day visitor is a visitor who does not spend the night collective or private

accommodation in the country or place visited. According to International

Maritime Organization (1965), these include cruise ship passengers who spend
the night aboard ship even they disembark for one or more day visits; crews who

are not residents


UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
of theOF
place visited
DEPARTMENT TOURISM ANDand who stay
HOSPITALITY only forMANAGEMENT
INDUSTRY the day; and visitors

who arrive and leave on the same day, including transit day visitors en route to

and from their destination.

The main basis for this classification is whether or not the visitor spends at least

one night in place visited which may not necessarily mean twenty-four hours, this

is whether or not a person stays in a collective or private accommodation in the

place visited. Thus, cruise passengers who return to their ship each night to

sleep on board; passengers and owners of yachts who sleep in their yachts; and

train passengers who are accommodated in a train This is regardless of how long

the ship, should be considered only as same day visitors. yacht or train stayed in

the place or country In reality, the maximum period an international visitor may

spend in the destination varies from country to country. For example, tourists

from America, and from some countries Europe or Asia may stay in the

Philippines for 21 days without visa. This may be extended by another 38 days,

this time upon application for a tourist visa, In the majority of ASEAN states,

individuals from member countries are allowed visa-free stay from 14 to 60 days

provided they

have either a return or onward ticket. On the other hand, some countries label

travelers who stay up to one month as "transit passengers”, which by definition


should not be included in tourism statistics. This is another discrepancy in the

recommended
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
definitions
DEPARTMENT OF and actual
TOURISM ANDusage and is INDUSTRY
HOSPITALITY a major cause of confusion.
MANAGEMENT

Stanley Plog (1977) categorized tourist behavior into psychocentric, allocentric

and midcentric. By chocentric tourists tend to be mainstream in their behavior,

unadventurous and prefer familiar surroundings, they go to "must ace"

destinations, cat foods they have back in their home countries, and stay in

popular accommodation facilities. They have below average income level.

Affocentries relish cultural explorations, are independent in mind and body and

are adventurous. They prefer places that are off the beaten track, experiment

with cuisine found in the destination areas and tend to internalize the local

cultures they come into contact with Straddling these two extreme types are the

mid entries who make up the bulk of tourists to a particular destination. They

gravitate toward places that have been discovered by the more adventurous

allocentrics, who then move on to explore other arcas (Youell, 1996). In this

classification scheme, it is not difficult to see who will experience the most

cultural exposure.

According to Javier (2007), tourist is regarded as the core of the total tourism

system because the wants and needs of the tourist dictate the actions of the

components or other participants of the total tourism system, they are those who
seek for pleasure and learning by travelling to different places to which they are
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
not familiarDEPARTMENT
with. Without
OF tourist,
TOURISMeconomic statuses
AND HOSPITALITY of a country
INDUSTRY may take a fall
MANAGEMENT

for it as one of the biggest sources of revenue to some countries.

DARK TOURISM

The tourism sector contributes a massive amount of financial contribution

especially towards the economy, thus making it one of the dominant ones in the

industry. According to UNWTO (2017), the tourism sector contributes million

dollars to the global economy and moves 1.2 billion people every year. The

socio-cultural aspect of the Philippines highly affects our perspective towards

dark tourism. What's unique about these places is their power to engage with

representations of death. They might deeply offend and unsettle visitors,

triggering shock, anger, but also wonder and excitement. Most places of death,

disaster and atrocities negotiate painful pasts, ethically problematic situations,

politically oriented discourses on memory and heritage (Godis & Nilsson, 2017),

strong emotional and affective reactions–such as pain, fear, empathy,

catharsis–from locals as well as visitors. Ever since dark tourism has risen to

fame, it has always caught the attention of social media that other forms of

tourism have achieved. Social media platforms such as online applications and

social websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., television programs,

newspapers, and
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

even just the use of the word of mouth can be highly associated with the

attention that dark tourism has been receiving for the past few years. More

broadly, dark tourism has also been the focus of a work of popular travel writing.

More recently (see edited collection by Stone et al., 2018), an impressive array

of work on these dark tourism trends has been published, acknowledging its

various and not always cohesive nature.

Dark tourism is considered a niche which engages with the idea of death, and

fosters encounters with remembrance of fatality and mortality (Seaton, 2018).

The state of dark tourism travel writings have been quite interesting especially

for people who like thrill and spookiness to their usual travels. Those kinds of

people are the ones who tend to read and collate more knowledge about the

topic itself.

Alongside dark tourism research on supply and demand approaches, case

studies, tourist motivations and trends (see Light, 2017, for a comprehensive

overview), researchers currently turn their attention to future possibilities for dark

tourism, such as terror parks (Wright, 2018), as well as psychological and

psychoanalytical approaches to tourists experiences in dark places (Biran

&Buda,2018). These studies may or may not have an impact depending on who

the subject might be and how the respondents will react to it. The approaches

that the researchers are suggesting may be effective and cost-efficient for

business owners as well as the


UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

tourism officers who might focus on funding dark tourism as one of its main

attractions at a specific place

DARK TOURISM ATTRACTIONS

Thanatourism or also known as dark tourism comprises the consumption of

visitors exploring places that are involved with genocide, holocaust, eerie, death,

and tragedy stories that became a destination that serves its visitors’ tourist

attractions after it was abandoned due to tragedies encircled around it. By this

form of abandonment, many tourists are having the urge to visit and explore the

attractions wherein they can learn and understand its long-term historical impact

to its society (Pereira, S. Q., et al., 2022). According to Peter Hohenhaus in his

article entitled a comprehensive guide to travel to 'dark-tourism' destinations

worldwide. The association with "death and calamity" can be made in extremely

direct ways, as in the case of famous communist leaders' mausoleums where

their actual dead bodies are on display for all to see. Or it can be quite indirect,

like at sites of volcanic destruction which may not have entailed any real deaths

at all - just the fact that it could have may be enough to give a site some 'black

appeal'.
According to Stone, featured in one of the articles of Tourism Teacher, entitled

What is Dark
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Tourism and Why isAND
it So ImportantINDUSTRY
that there are seven types of
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

dark tourism sites which are dark fun factories. These can be directed at adults

even though they are typically associated with youngsters. For instance, there

are theatrical events that all take place in dark fun factories, zombie scavenger

hunts, and escape rooms with a dark theme. Next type of dark tourism is dark

exhibitions. It is a type of dark tourism that focuses on holocausts which is a

good opportunity for tourists to learn the dark histories and events in a respectful

manner. Next is the dark dungeons which have numerous locations that allow

visitors to tour their old dungeons. These might be in their original form or they

might have undergone modifications for tours. For instance, the London

Dungeons have been somewhat "Disneyfied," with live performers, sensory

experiences, and rides. Next is the dark resting places. Bloggers have been to a

lot of pretty fascinating cemeteries around the world. Even though visiting a

cemetery might not be on every traveler's to-do list, you might be surprised at

how crowded these areas can be. Next are dark shrines which you can see

throughout the world, especially in Asian countries, and one of the most famous

being the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Next of the seven is the dark conflict

sites. Once peace has been restored and a reasonable amount of time has

elapsed, conflict areas frequently turn into gloomy tourism destinations. Last
would be the dark camps of genocide wherein there are several sites of camps of

genocide around
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
the world, and obviously, we canINDUSTRY
concludeMANAGEMENT
the fact that this is a
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

sad histories, some tourists still consider these camp sites as an attraction to

learn more about the history. (Staiton, 2023)

Cemetery tourism is very well-known, and it is regarded as one of the most

distinctive forms of dark tourism, because visiting cemeteries allows people

tocompletely comprehend, for the first time, the existence of death and its

significance to the society that they live in. (Mionel, 2020)

The act of traveling to and visiting sights, attractions, and exhibitions that have

real or reproduced death, misery, or the seemingly morbid as a prominent focus

is known as dark tourism. You may rarely hear this negative term, but it is

undoubtedly something that a large number of tourists have participated in, often

inadvertently. Some of the world's most well-known tourist spots may fall into this

category. Examine this: what do St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, India's Taj

Mahal, and Egypt's Pyramids of Giza have in common? Indeed, they are all

graveyards. (Boudaleir, 2018)

Millions of visitors travel to some of the most unhappy places on Earth every

year, including the locations of infamous tragedies, accidents, natural

catastrophes, and atrocities. Visitors are making the darkest moments in history

a part of their trip, if not the entire purpose, in places like Auschwitz, Chernobyl,
Gettysburg, the scene of the Kennedy assassination, and the 9/11 Memorial in
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
New York. DEPARTMENT
The tendency
OF is knownAND
TOURISM as HOSPITALITY
"dark tourism," and MANAGEMENT
INDUSTRY experts claim it has a

long history. Visits to locations where some of the most heinous incidents in

human history have taken

place are referred to as dark tourism. It can involve ethnic cleansing, genocide,

assassination, imprisonment, war, or a natural or unintentional tragedy that

transform places to profitable areas that contributes to the economy of different

countries all around the world. (Sampson, 2019).

Before it was named Club John Hay, Camp John Hay was the resting place and

recreation center of the United States Air Force back when soldiers were

physically and emotionally harmed and injured due to designated wars before

camping at John Hay. It was turned over to the Filipinos when the Americans left

the country back in early 90s. (Libosada, 2010)

In Clavel’s work in year 2015 named In the Cultural Realm of Capiz: Explorations

in Honor of Pilar Solidum Clavel, he mentioned that the Capisnon believed

Aswang and Agurang in early 2000s, he presumes that aswangs were an evil

agent bringing misfortune to town. There was saying that Aswangs were survived

during pre-Spanish times, and its value to the industry which are the tourism and
hospitality industry is that it was a mythical fight between Aswang and Agurang
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
that affectsDEPARTMENT
the culturalOFbackground
TOURISM ANDof an Aswang
HOSPITALITY Festival
INDUSTRY that promotes the
MANAGEMENT

environmental protection and conservation of healing herbs that was used to gain

health and wellness.

One of the most well-known sights, Intramuros, urges visitors to reflect on

Spanish colonial history. Since it portrays how Filipinos were tormented

throughout the

period, Fort Santiago has become a famous tourist destination. In the

Philippines, Baguio City is also known for its dark tourism. Most visitors today

recognize these destinations for their eerie ambiance and ghost stories. Many

Filipinos died in this city during WWII, and the majority of its ruins have been

preserved. Among these, dark ethical tourism in the Philippines is still in its early

stages, but the attraction it produces is still a significant step forward for the

country. (Uy, 2019)

According to a traveler, mountaineer, food lover, and adventure seeker, Mervin

who posted a blog on Pinoy Adventurista regarding his travel to 10 interesting

cemeteries here in the Philippines, the blogger was not familiar to dark tourism

before he red a blog from thepinaysolobackpacker explaining the meaning of

dark tourism which is a practice of visiting destinations and events where the

predominant themes are actual or simulated suffering, death, or the macabre.


Since the blogger was fascinated by heritage houses that have old and rich
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
histories toDEPARTMENT
share, he began to take some notesINDUSTRY
on the MANAGEMENT
whereabouts of dark
OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

tourism in our country. After knowing that there is such a term as dark tourism,

the blogger started his journey as he discovered that there are several

cemeteries that are worth exploring and have out of ordinary stories to tell. One

of the attractions he was destined to was the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

that was built by Franciscan Missionaries during the year of 1851. It is said that

this cemetery was used by Filipino revolutionaries to scheme their plan against

Spanish rulers, and

used by the elite Catholic families as their burial. The next cemetery he went to

was the San Joaquin Roman Catholic Cemetery located at Iloilo. One of the most

attractive attractions that evoke the interest of tourists is the Campo Santo. It is

said that this cemetery was used by the locals to celebrate their holy mass before

a burial. The third of the many cemeteries he explored was the Paco Cemetery

which is probably the oldest cemetery here in the Philippines. Paco Park was

originally planned as the municipal cemetery for established Spanish upper-class

who reside in Manila. It was also used as a burial for the victims of cholera that

swept off the city during those epidemic times (Mervz, 2022).

Our society has a strong appreciation for myths and folklore, therefore we are

drawn to local locations with sinister histories. The troops and war casualties are
not an exception, nor are urban traditions concerning wandering spirits. Visit the

isolated community
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
in OF
Sagada
DEPARTMENT TOURISMifAND
youHOSPITALITY
are eagerINDUSTRY
to document the distinctive
MANAGEMENT

funeral custom. We may not be used to seeing cliffs and cages with coffins

hanging from them. But, it has a deeper meaning for the Igorot people.

Testimony indicates that the casket brings their ancestors' spirits closer the

higher they position it. Also, the elders do not like earth burial because they think

that as water seeps into the soil, their bodies will swiftly decompose. Discover the

cemeteries of Camiguin's forgotten memories by diving under the sea after

seeing the hanging burial. The moment you see the memorials, as some tourists

have noted, there is a sense of

solitude. especially in light of the horrific past of this location. It's time to breathe

in the calming air of nature after touring yourself around the metro. The allure

and mystique of Mount Banahaw are not to be missed. Climbing the mountain's

slopes, which is regarded as holy, is calming. In addition, this location is

frequently visited by pilgrims who believe in the healing and good luck powers of

the area's natural springs. (Esmilla, 2021).

The world is continuing without looking back at the past, it became the job of the

present society to discover the histories that have been left behind by the

oppressive and gruesome dominion that produces the sites that have been

labeled as dark tourism. Even though the attractions are amalgamations of


different experiences and past sorrowful acts, the dark tourism attraction in the

present day
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
became OF
one of the income-generation
DEPARTMENT TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY sources for different
MANAGEMENT

countries. “I’m heartened by the fact that they choose to try to understand this

difficult past.” (Lennon, 2019) Comforting the victims by sharing stories that have

been hidden by society due to the painful memories left behind is one of the

many benefits that Dark Tourism provides to the stories of people that should all

be known by the masses and should not be forgotten in order to avoid the

repeated acts of the stories from the Dark Tourism Attraction in the current era

Baguio City is known for its cool climate, making it an ideal destination for those

seeking a break from the chaos of urban areas. Baguio City is also known as the

"City of Pines" due to the abundance of pine trees. Baguio City is not just a place

where tourist can experience cool climate, but it is also a place suitable for

travellers who are fond of ghost stories and paranormal activities. One of the

advantages of visiting dark tourism sites is that tourists can learn about the dark

history of these places, which is not taught in schools.

EXPERIENCE OF DARK TOURISM

Tourists have a socially constructed image of their destination before departing.

These perceptions are significant because they influence tourist behavior in a

variety of ways, particularly when tourists have limited knowledge of their


destinations. Tourists typically choose their destination based on images they
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
have seenDEPARTMENT
or wordsOFthey have
TOURISM AND heard fromINDUSTRY
HOSPITALITY others.MANAGEMENT
Generally, tourists'

assumptions are positive, and images play a role in this by fulfilling a place's

ocular expectancy. When a tourist's desires are fulfilled during his or her visit to

his or her destination, he or she may return. The vague concepts that are

commonly used to provide indication of the components of an image are

commonly observed as the description of impressions, beliefs, ideals,

expectations, and feelings combined accumulated towards a place over time, on

the other hand defined destination image as the sum of beliefs, ideas, and

impressions that an individual has of the attributes and activities available at a

destination. According to Amandy et, al. (2013) The fourth theme focuses on the

reasons why tourists travel.

Tourists must be inspired to engage actions that will affect their attitude toward

the campaign. As a result, in this section, the researchers discussed the factors

that influence a tourist's decision to visit a particular country. It was deemed

important to discuss tourist and its meaning because one of the study's

objectives was to create a profile of the participants and contribute to determining

what driven tourists to visit the Philippines. Following that, the fifth theme

discusses the importance of destination image on tourist satisfaction and how it

affects building a positive image in tourism.


GAIN KNOWLEDGE

Ritchie once
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
mentionedOFhow education forms anINDUSTRY
important element of tourists'
DEPARTMENT TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

experience within dark tourism and other sites where there is a story to narrate.

Furthermore, most tourism officers tend to prioritize creating an education-first

tour package for tourists who seek knowledgeable adventures and sites rather

than those who are traveling for tourism known as tourism-first. The main trends

in dark tourism cover definitions and typologies; ethical debates; political roles of

such places; motivations, behaviors and visitors experiences; management and

marketing; and inquiries on methods (Light, 2017, p. 277) These definitions have

a vital role in terms of shaping what dark tourism is today and what will it be in

the next few years.

TOURIST SATISFACTION

A tourists' satisfaction is essential and so must be attended in both government

and private sectors. Kozak & Rommington (2000, as cited from Camarista 2007)

stated that satisfaction has always been a central philosophy in the tourism

industry. It is important to successful marketing for it influences the tourist's

destination choice, product consumption and the possibility of returning.


The most widely quoted theory of motivation is presented by Abraham Moslow in
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
his book, Motivation and
DEPARTMENT OFPersonality
TOURISM ANDthat was firstINDUSTRY
HOSPITALITY published in 1954. The theory
MANAGEMENT

of hierarchy of needs has been used in the field of tourism since the theory helps

clarify travelers’ varied motivations and thereby explain tourists’ travel behaviours

(Amin et. al, 2018). When an individual meets the basic needs, which is the first

level in the pyramid, they will eventually seek to satisfy themselves with higher

needs that occupy the set of hierarchy. In tourism industry, tourists might do

something that is quite challenging and out of their comfort zone for them to fulfill

the last level of hierarchy of needs which is self-actualization.

DARK HISTORY

Death, tragedy, and suffering are few of the things that can be correlated with

what people call dark tourism. Thanatourism or dark tourism refers to visiting

places where some of the darkest events of human history have unfolded. As

stated by Robinson and Dale, dark tourism evolved from a morbid curiosity of

death of the 19th and 20th centuries. The term dark tourism has been coined by

Foley and Lennon (2000). It is defined as a product of the circumstances of the

late modern world, an intimation of postmodernity, where death becomes

neutralized, mediated and rendered less threatening, thus commodifiable for

consumption. In the past twenty years dark tourism has gained academic
attention and considerable literature has been published.
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
AMBIANCEDEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

The method of promoting the Region of CAR began with the intention of using

banners spread around the region to promote and establish the tourism invitation

to encourage visitors to visit the region. It also encourages the region to

collaborate with the authorities in order to further realize the tourism

advertisement when it comes to building its tourist population as well as

increasing the standard of service to tourists visiting the region. This means that

the CAR region must prioritize the procurement of experts in order to further

develop its tourism. (Koullannyehual, 2012)

The study of Libosada in 2010 entitled Domestic Tourism: A New Edition, he

performed an analysis, mainly SWOT, in order to address the deficit of the CAR

region’s target, especially to minimize risks. In his study he concluded that the

strength of region CAR is it has innumerable, finest natural and cultural

attractions. When it comes to weakness, Libosada concluded that some parts of

the region may be inaccessible to tourists and some locals. Libosada also

concluded that region CAR has opportunities when it comes to connecting roads

from other regions that are being developed, hoping for greater access. And the

only thing that the region’s threat is that it may be prone to earthquakes and

other natural disasters that may affect the persuasion of tourists in the future.
La Trinidad Municipality serves as the capital of Benguet, according to a book
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
written by DEPARTMENT
Bajao G., T., et al., AND
2021, entitled INDUSTRY
PhilippineMANAGEMENT
Culture & Tourism
OF TOURISM HOSPITALITY

Geography, Benguet is politically divided into 13 municipalities and 140

barangays. Benguet is typically a mountainous region. The second-highest peak

in the Philippines, Mt. Pulag is a few feet lower than Mt. Apo is situated in the

municipality of Kabayan. It rises thousands of feet above sea level. The

maximum elevation, at Mt. Pulag is 2,792 meters above sea level. Forest land

makes up 1,747.40 square kilometers of the province's total land area, which is

2,616,48 square kilometers. km. 869.08 square miles (66.78%) are made up of

alienable and disposable lands. km. (33.22%). The distribution of classified forest

land is as follows: the forest/watershed reservation measures 657.43 sq.

Timberland is 233,61 square kilometers. National parks cover 698.67 sq. km.

The military reserve is 5.54 square

kilometers. km. Civil reservation is 152.15 square meters. km. Under the

Corona's Systems of Classification, the province's climate is classified as

Category 1, with two well defined seasons: wet from May to October and dry the

rest of the year. Comparable to spring in temperate nations, the area is

refreshingly chilly. The temperature fluctuates from a low of 8.60 degrees Celsius

in January to a high of 26 degrees Celsius in April.


Aside from the study of Libosada regarding the SWOT Analysis in comparison to
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Cordillera Administrative
DEPARTMENT OFRegion,
TOURISMLibosada also thought
AND HOSPITALITY of MANAGEMENT
INDUSTRY ways of development

with regards to tourist attractions. He suppose that the development of tourist

attractions may come in six (6) ways. The first way of development is discovery.

In this way, there are numerous natural wonders in the nation that have the

potential to be major tourist draws but are currently underutilized or even

unrecognized. He also presumes that initial assessment is also a way of

development because of its importance in conducting a study that determines the

true value of a study. Researchers must focus on the factors in terms of

accessibility and safety. Tests are also part of the ways of developing tourist

attractions due to its determinants of how consumers would think of a site as a

new tourist attraction. The fourth way of development is consolidation, he

concluded that it is the leading of the institutional assertion for site development.

Next important development of tourist attraction is investment, due to its vital role

in the tourism and hospitality industry,

also to different industries. Private sectors are also a part of direct stake on site,

also the government sector if you are looking for stakeholders. Last would be the

marketing, its purpose is to ascertain your target, and by attracting not just local

tourists, but also foreign tourists, you must allocate a larger budget for your

business.
DENSITY
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Visitors to Baguio City have
DEPARTMENT been steadily
OF TOURISM growingINDUSTRY
AND HOSPITALITY with theMANAGEMENT
removal of the covid-

19 limit. Baguio's environment, with the city only recording over 268,000 in 2021

and 260,000 in 2020, compared to over 1.5 million in 2019. The first ten months

of 2020 saw an increase in tourist traffic to the city, with over 474,000 visitor

arrivals recorded. The findings revealed that Baguio City's visitor density has

changed after the Covid-19 incident, and this plainly restricts tourist travel inside

the city's attractions. (DOT, 2022)

CURIOSITY

What motivates individuals to travel? Undoubtedly the urge to travel and vacation

is touched off by instinctual needs present in all mankind. People travel for many

different reasons and the travel and tourism industry is about far more than

providing holidays for people. Traveling or taking vacations is mostly part of the

needs of an individual, upon these basic needs are those learned or culturally

determined activators, varying from culture to one another and within a society,

which can cause of increase to the movement of millions of people within and

around the world each year. Motivators, simply defines as the reasons for a

particular behavior. According to Camilleri (2018), the prime motivation to engage


in pleasure travel is the desire to be elsewhere, even temporarily from the routine
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
constraints DEPARTMENT
and stressesOFofTOURISM
everyday
ANDlife.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

In order to satisfy a wide range of motivations, travelers have been looking for a

new and unique travel experiences to acquire knowledge and to have awareness

on specific tourism attractions. Nowadays, dark tourism has become more

popular, these are the places where some of the darkest human history have

unfolded. According to a study conducted by Lewis, et al., “Dark tourism:

motivations and visit intentions of tourists” (2021), “tourists are curious,

interested, and intrigued by dark experiences with paranormal activity, resulting

in travel choices made for themselves based on personal beliefs and

preferences, with minimal outside influence from others. ” Therefore, travelers

are most likely to visit a dark tourism destination because they want to have a

dark experience.

According to Amandy et. al., (2013), it is the person’s curiosity that motivates

them to experience something new when it comes to travelling to foreign places

around the world. In addition, tourist travel because of their desire of response.

Many people want to develop intimate relationships with others, and traveling

allows

them to meet new people. A tourist travels to experience and learn about the

culture of someone they know in order to better relate to them. In dark tourism
sites, as per stated by Cornell (2019), in his study “The Bright Side of Dark
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
Tourism in DEPARTMENT
Baguio City:OF
Understanding its Impact INDUSTRY
to the Stakeholders,”
TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT he stated

that the feeling of sorrow towards the tragic events that happened in the past

triggers the interest of tourist to visit dark tourism destinations. Some tourist may

want to pay tribute and respect for the people who were affected by the grief

event.

AFFORDABILITY

According to Eva Treer (2010) found that 'Social Media: An Interesting Option for

Tourism Destination Promotion? ' stated that social media is perceived as a very

important information source during travel planning due to its unique qualities of

being informative and credible, but it is primarily used during the information

search phase. According to Eva Treer (2010) Attracting tourists and potential

customers is one of the primary goals of destination image. To attract people's

attention, a variety of tourism promotional activities are used to sell a tourist

destination. Various tourism agencies, media operators, and tourism authorities

collaborate to promote or sell a tourist destination in the hopes of gaining a

position in the tourism world as well as profit motives.

According to beta.tourism.gov.ph, Since the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions,

visitor arrivals in Baguio City have shown a consistent upward trend. The

pandemic
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
hampered DEPARTMENT
Baguio's typically vibrant tourism environment, with the city only
OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

recording over 267,000 visitors in 2021 and 268,000 in 2020, compared to over

1.5 million in 2019. The first ten months of 2022 saw an increase in tourist traffic

to the city, with over 474,000 visitor arrivals recorded. According to

kingtolentino.com Baguio City budget and itinerary an overnight stay in Baguio

City for two people is estimated to cost around Php5,000.00. This is based on the

assumption that: the accommodation is Php2,000.00 per night or less, 6 meals

are Php200.00 per person per meal, and commute around Baguio City.

MOTIVATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

There are basic travel motivators that are grouped into four classes by Robert

W. McIntosh:

The physical motivators, it is including those related to physical rest, sports

participation, recreation, relaxing entertainment and connected with health. This

motivation specifically relates to the activities associated with medical

examinations and health care. The primary characteristic of this motivation is the

lowering of stress through physical activity. The cultural motivators, is the

desire to know about others culture – about their music, art, folklore, dances,

paintings, and religion. This motivation, driven the curiosity of a tourist and

understand other
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
cultures way of life. One
DEPARTMENT of the AND
OF TOURISM basic travel motivators
HOSPITALITY is the interpersonal
INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

motivators, wherein it comprises a desire to meet other people, visit friends or

relatives or also known as VFR, escape from routine, from stressors, from family

and neighbors or make new friendship. Lastly, the status and prestige

motivators, pertain to ego needs and personal development. In this motivators

includes business trips, convention, and pursuit of education. Travel would

enhance one’s desire for recognition, appreciation and good reputation.

Tourists are motivated to travel to certain destination sites based on their own

perception that can be determined by push and pull factors.

According to Agnes and Gamueda (2019), push factors deals with tourists’

behavior and willingness to explore new places and their desire to experience

new environment, while pull factors focus on the tourists’ destination and how

these places influence their decision on where to travel. “It can be also identified

by activities, history, attractiveness of the attraction or recreation facility, nature

characteristics, perceptions, and many more.” (Said and Maryono, 2018).

Based on these motivational factors, tourists are motivated to travel by push and

pull factors that influence their decision to travel to a specific destination. Tourists

are motivated and influenced to travel to different places based on their needs

and desires, as well as the attributes of a destination site. In dark tourism,

motivators define as memory, gaining knowledge and awareness, and

exclusivity were
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

important motivations for dark tourists; also, consuming dark tourism may allow

the individual a sense of meaning and understanding of past disaster. Travelers

and tourists may visit dark tourism because it is like engaging entertainment

through gaining emotion to the destinations they are going to visit. Also, curious

to see the reality or truth behind the media images. “There are numerous ethical

debates about dark tourism, and the nature of what is presented, the context

within which it is presented and narrated and the choices made by travellers who

decide to visit these sites and the reasons for their visits”. Stone (2012, p. 48)

In the book of Tourism by Peterson, et.al., sited by Dunkley (2005) provides

framework for understanding the different reasons for and interesting visiting dark

tourism sites.

These include the contemplation, spiritual and retrospective purposes, thrill and

risk-seeking, validation and confirmation of events that may have happened such

as crime, murder or disaster. Also, it also presented the authenticity and the need

to acknowledge the reality of a place or person's existence. Self-discovery and

learning. Furthermore, the iconic sites which immortalize key events, and

significant landmarks, as well as the convenience when an attraction is located in

a famous city example of this is the Coliseum in Rome. Lastly, the morbid

curiosity, visiting sites where death or disaster have only recently occurred, there

is
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

remembrance and empathy as one of the reason or motivators in visiting dark

tourism sites.

Moreover, in the study of Fabros, et al., (2022), there are seven (7) main reasons

or motivations of tourists visiting dark tourism sites, these are: Education,

Remembrance, Sight- seeing, Recreation, Family bonding, Curiosity, and Event

venue. Dark tourism sites can be visited for educational purposes as the students

can gain knowledge specifically in the history of a particular place. Visiting loved

ones who are buried in the identified dark tourism sites can served as a

remembrance to show that they are not forgotten. For some tourist just want to

have a remembrance of the attraction by taking photos of the sites. Another

motivation is sightseeing; this is because some of the dark tourism sites also

offer numerous attractions that the tourist could visit. Also, dark tourism sites can

be visited for recreational purposes because of its unique landscape and design.

Family bonding happens in visiting a deceased family member in a cemetery,

which is also considered a dark tourism site. Moreover, one of the major

motivations in visiting dark tourism sites is the tourists’ curiosity which can be

related to the study of Lewis et al. (2021), travelling in dark tourism site can feed

their curious mind regarding on the tragic history of the destination. Lastly, some
of the dark tourism sites are now used as event venue because of its vintage and
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
classic environment.
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

Some tourists consider dark tourism as disrespectful, voyeuristic, exploitative, or

simply inappropriate. Others see no problem with it and just aren't bothered. For

some, the nature of the site, its age, finances, and visitors' intentions and

behavior all play a role. According to wheretheroadforks.com (2023) It is

important to remember that visiting sites of death or suffering has been popular

for as long as tourism has existed. Dark tourism is not a new trend. It is only

natural for humans to be drawn to these dark places. Most of us have an innate

fascination with the morbid. There's nothing wrong with satisfying our morbid

curiosity as long as we do so respectfully and without causing unnecessary

destruction or harm. We can learn about history, culture, and ourselves all at the

same time. Many individuals have adverse feelings about dark places,

particularly cemeteries. “Dark tourism connotes death, mourning, and sadness,

which makes it a vital feature of cemeteries and inspiring fear.” (Mionel, 2020).

The cemetery can be regarded as a manifestation of popular culture, as it allows

visitors to witness expressions of thought, values, and culture across time.

Pereira and Limbeger (2020)

According to Millán (2019), mentions that tourists are generally content to gaze at

funerary monuments, architectural beauty, and landscaping when visiting


cemeteries. It was discovered that the tourist experience has escapist,
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
educational,DEPARTMENT
and political dimensions. In a study conducted by to Assunco
OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

(2019), tourism in cemeteries benefits both tourists and the community because

it places

value on local history and characters, regardless of any political values assigned

to their identities. “It fosters active citizenship as well as the possibility of

education and humanism” Pereira and Limberger (2020).

According to Anshita Kandhari (2019), dark tourism in simplest terms is

"atmospheric tourism," where travelers may appreciate a location's beauty

despite its melancholy. It is often referred to as black tourism and mourning

tourism. This type of travel involves more than just going to the location of a

natural disaster. “Tourists have different travelling motivations and behavioural

manifestations, helping tour operators decide suitable for them. Developing a

dark tourism niche concept is a necessary step for correct use of it in theory and

practice. Dark tourism is an important concept studied in the past twenty years in

worldwide literature.” Schneider, et al., (2021).

According to Grebenar (2018) suggest commodified aspects of the tourist

experience within dark tourism may even enhance visitor encounters, by offering

familiarity and succor in the form of standardized gift shops, hospitality provision,

and tour guiding.  “The spectacularization of death within dark tourism has also
ushered in death as part of a broader entrepreneurial exercise, where the
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
spectacularDEPARTMENT
dead are ‘packaged’
OF TOURISMas commodities
AND HOSPITALITY and their tragic
INDUSTRY passing retailed
MANAGEMENT

in a mercantile world” Bird, et al., (2018).

Theoretical Framework

Motivation plays a vital role in the tourism industry, specifically to the tourists. It

has a massive amount of contribution in terms of the tourists’ decision-making on

whether they would travel to a specific place. Due to the increasing relevance of

the tourism industry, several companies and organizations felt the need to

understand, obtain, and identify relevant information on several significant factors

that have massive impacts on the tourists’ motivations and perspectives. In line

with that, these companies aim to reconstruct how they cater their customers’

needs and consider the factors mentioned above. Obtaining a deeper and an in-

depth knowledge in tourists’ motivations can help tourist providers in equipping

well-crafted tourism products for tourists to exult in. According to Amadeus IT

Groups (2021), ‘Unlike many other industries, travel can inspire people. Through

greater collaboration and offering more extensive options, travel companies have

an opportunity to build the experiences travelers want.’ Inspiration and motivation


goes hand in hand in the tourism industry due to the fact that it offers a better
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
way of communicating between
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISMtourism professionals
AND HOSPITALITY and
INDUSTRY tourists in order to
MANAGEMENT

build a more inclusive environment.

Abraham Maslow first introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943

paper, titled "A Theory of Human Motivation," and again in his subsequent

book, "Motivation and Personality." This hierarchy suggests that people are

motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.

Figure 1: Abraham Maslow Hierarchy Of

The concept of a hierarchy of needsNeeds


was first introduced by Abraham Maslow in

his 1943 paper, "A Theory of Human Motivation," and then again in his
subsequent book, "Motivation and Personality." This hierarchy suggests that
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
people areDEPARTMENT
motivated OF
to TOURISM
fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more
AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

advanced needs.

The most widely quoted theory of motivation is presented by Abraham Moslow in

his book, Motivation and Personality that was first published in 1954. The theory

of hierarchy of needs has been used in the field of tourism since the theory helps

clarify travelers’ varied motivations and thereby explain tourists’ travel behaviours

(Amin et. al, 2018). When an individual meets the basic needs, which is the first

level in the pyramid, they will eventually seek to satisfy themselves with higher

needs that occupy the set of hierarchy. In tourism industry, tourists might do

something that is quite challenging and out of their comfort zone for them to fulfill

the last level of hierarchy of needs which is self-actualization.

According to Agnes and Gamueda (2019), push factors deals with tourists’

behavior and willingness to explore new places and their desire to experience

new environment, while pull factors focus on the tourists’ destination and how

these places influence their decision on where to travel.


UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

Figure 2: Crompton’s Push and Pull Factors

According to Icenis (2017) Visitors' behavior can be explained using a push-pull

framework approach. The push-pull theoretical framework is a popular theory

that explains why tourists choose to visit one location over another, the type of

experience they want to have, and the type of activity they want to participate in.

Psychological encouragement is one of the push factors, along with social

interaction, the desire for escape, adventure, relaxation, and self-exploration. The

push factor is defined as the factors underlying and directing someone's behavior

to travel. Motivation is defined as the underlying power to rise and directly affect

behavior. When a person desires to meet their needs, they become motivated.

Motivation is frequently associated with push-pull factors that influence visitor

behavior. Push factors are socio-psychological visitor contracts that influence

their motivation to visit an attraction or destination (peaceful, loneliness, to feel a


new experience, etc). While the pull factors are the characteristics of the

environment
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
that entices them to
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM ANDvisit an attraction
HOSPITALITY orMANAGEMENT
INDUSTRY specific destination.

Perception and motivation can influence visitors' behavior to participate in

tourism activities in national parks. A hierarchy conceptual model is used to

explain the factors that influence visitors' behavior when they visit national parks.

The image of the destination is formed by visitors' overall perception of the tourist

site. When tourists choose a destination, they are influenced by the image of the

destination. The perception of someone's experience related to his feelings

consists of an experience from the surrounding environment stimulant followed

by activity as a response or answer to the stimulant. Perception refers to how a

person feels, mentally processes, and acts on information received from their

surroundings. Positive image perception from a destination becomes the most

preferred choice among the alternatives. As a result, the number of people who

visit will be reduced. Tourists are influenced to visit a destination by their attitude

toward the destination, the opinions of relatives and friends, previous travel

experience, and time and financial constraints.

Conceptual Framework

 
UNIVERSITY OF CALOOCAN CITY
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

The figure 3 represents the relationship of motivations and perspective with the

tourists and especially to the dark tourism. The diagram mainly focuses on the

researcher's study which is to understand the motivations and perspective of

tourists that urges them to visit, explore, and learn about dark tourism attractions.

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