​DARK TOURISM

Concluding Thoughts

 

It is apparant that dissonance exists at the Rwandan memorial sites in a variety of forms. This is a phenomenon which is heightened by the physical and political issues of the memorialisation process alongside the growth of tourism in Rwanda. Initially whilst the memorials were constructed for the local communities , now such memorials have become more than sites of burial and rememberance. It is clear that a balance needs to be identified between rememberance for local communities and the interpretation of genocide for tourism.

 

Also which elements of the genocide should be forgotten or memorialised and how should this be done? Is it ethical to commemorate the dead with human remains on display or a more sanitised method in the form of a memorial centre (Brandstetter, 2010).

 

It is apparant that in regards to the Rwandan Genocide, those responsible for the memorialisation seek to portray the true horrors of what happened in 1994 with the display of human remains and the preservation of the site. The purpose built memorial centre in Kigali is designed to educate visitors and serve as a tourist attraction as well as somewhere the world can pay their respects and hold commemoration ceremonies.

 

Finally, memorialisation can occur in many different forms and it is generally politics which dictates how dark events are memorialised and commemorated.