Why is Death so Attractive? An Analysis of Tourists’ Motives for Visiting the Hector Peterson Memorial and Museum in South Africa

Abstract

Tourism is a multifaceted sector, which is manifested in various forms, including dark tourism. One of the dark tourism sites in South Africa is the Hector Peterson Memorial and Museum, which is named after one of the pupils who died during the Soweto riots. In order to provide clarity on why tourists are attracted to a site associated with death, in this case the death of Hector Peterson, in-depth interviews were conducted with visitors to the site and museum. Consistent with the literature review, the study revealed that factors such as novelty, escapism, enhancement of kinship relations, nostalgia, education and the media played a pivotal role in motivating visitors to visit the site.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n15p570