Doing time-travel

Re-enactment in Lighter Dark Tourism: An Exploration of Re-enactor Tour Guides and Their Perspectives on Creating Visitor Experiences

“…Re-enactments may also be co-created in which visitors participate in the experience (Jackson & Kidd, 2008), such as the Battle of Bannockburn Experience in Stirling, UK, which uses AR technology to immerse visitors in a recreation of the medieval battle. However, re-enactments may also be a guided tour experience, in which visitors are led through an attraction by an RTG who personifies a real person from the past to better engross visitors in the experience (Turner & Peters, 2015), such as at the Edinburgh Dungeon, UK, where RTGs portray a range of historical characters. In these experiences, RTGs will comply with the mind-set of the represented time-period, dismissing any references outside that time, or they will embody a specific person from the past, but respond appropriately to modern day references (Levy, 2002).…”

“…Instead, focus is placed on experiences with re-enactors and/or tour guides (uniformed and period-dressed). Within lighter dark tourism studies, only a few have addressed re-enactments and/or RTG-led tours (Turner & Peters, 2015; Wyatt et al, 2021); however, these were not the main foci, but instead set within larger discussions of how edutainment visitor experiences are designed.…”

“…Because of the growing demand for more interactive visitor experiences (Alabau-Montoya & Ruiz-Molina, 2020; Neuhofer & Buhalis, 2014), simulation technologies, co-creation, and re-enactment have become popular edutainment methods for creating impressions of the past that engage visitors more deeply in unique and memorable experiences (Åstrøm, 2020; Wyatt et al, 2021). Essential for these experiences are re-enactor tour guides (RTGs) who, as the hybrid of re-enactors and tour guides (uniformed and period-dressed), lead tours whilst personifying real people from the past, assuming their identity to make tour experiences more immersive (Turner & Peters, 2015). Although research of lighter dark tourism is mounting (Ivanova & Light, 2018; Light & Ivanova, 2022; Turner & Peters, 2015; Wright, 2021; Wyatt et al, 2021), few have explored guided tour experiences, particularly those led by RTGs.…”

“…Essential for these experiences are re-enactor tour guides (RTGs) who, as the hybrid of re-enactors and tour guides (uniformed and period-dressed), lead tours whilst personifying real people from the past, assuming their identity to make tour experiences more immersive (Turner & Peters, 2015). Although research of lighter dark tourism is mounting (Ivanova & Light, 2018; Light & Ivanova, 2022; Turner & Peters, 2015; Wright, 2021; Wyatt et al, 2021), few have explored guided tour experiences, particularly those led by RTGs. Thus, studies at darker attractions have become the predominant source for understanding tour-guided experiences within dark tourism (Carter et al, 2014; Potter, 2016; Walby & Piché, 2011; Wang et al, 2021).…”

“…In consequence, a research imbalance that favors darker attractions has developed (Rajasekaram et al, 2022). Calls therefore persist for more research into the diversity of lighter attraction experiences (Janoske McLean & Vibber, 2021; Light, 2017; Light & Ivanova, 2022; Rajasekaram et al, 2022; Yu & Egger, 2022), and specifically, their use of re-enactments and RTG-led tours (Sigala & Steriopoulos, 2021; Turner & Peters, 2015; Wang et al, 2021; Wyatt et al, 2021).…”