Dark Tourism Psychology: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms in High-Risk Adventure Travel

Abstract

Dark tourism is a type of tourism that has received increasing attention in recent years, and the broadcast of series and films such as Chernobyl and Dark Tourist has promoted the concept of dark tourism among people and created the motivation to travel to these areas. In this regard, the aim of the present study was to analyze the defense mechanisms in high-risk adventure travel based on the dark psychology of tourism. Within the framework of this study, four prominent features of storytelling in dark tourism were examined: emotionality, uniqueness, descriptiveness, and trainability. Subsequently, the relationships between dark tourism storytelling, behavioral intention, flow experience, and national identity were analyzed. The results showed the effect of dark tourism storytelling on tourists' behavioral intentions. In addition, this study also clarified the role of other mechanisms such as flow experience and national identity, amorality, and psychological issues in this regard. These findings significantly enrich the theoretical understanding of dark tourism and storytelling and provide valuable insights for management strategies in dark tourism destinations.