Betting on Dark Literary Tourism

Exploring the tourist potential of the easternmost town in the European Union and also the only one that can only be reached by water, this article highlights the role of dark and literary destinations as ‘additional attractions’ related to other types of tourism. The article is based on careful analysis and review of abundant literature and on the consultation with several actors involved in tourism: institutions, tour operators, NGOs, bloggers and media. The analysis highlights that, as long as the institutions and economic actors involved in the field of tourism do not consider other participants in the tourism phenomenon, the opportunity of a pragmatic approach to managing and attracting as many and diverse tourists as possible is lost. The study also demonstrates that officials approach tourism differently, as compared to NGOs and tourism bloggers, the latter being more pragmatic in highlighting the real dimension of the tourist attractions of the destination

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