The Art of War and Love of the Game

By Katie McShane

‘War Tourism’, or sometimes called ‘Dark Tourism’, is exactly what it sounds. ‘Tourists’ travelling to war-torn countries – including active war zones. Why? “to see the show” according to Kobi Marom, a retired IDF colonel who began facilitating tourist excursions to sites of the Syrian Civil War [1]. Call it intrigue or thrill-seeking, this is a far cry away from the average holiday. In fact, we can trace further and find examples of people not only visiting conflict zones but partaking in warfare. What causes this desire, and how does it fit in an era where young people are becoming particularly disillusioned with violence whilst also encountering it much more than any other generation. 

Commercialisation of War 

In an article published by The Atlantic, executive director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Philip Stone, claimed that whilst the idea of dark tourism isn’t new, the commercialisation is. Noting that this is aided by the internet and technology. The 90s gave way to ‘War Zone Tours’ and ‘Wild Frontiers’ before the industry took off in the 2000s and 2010s. However, whereas the former companies worked closely with NGO’s not every trip was so above board. 

Recently, Italian journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, made claims that Italians and other wealthy people paid to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War to shoot at unsuspecting civilians. ‘Sniper Safaris’ attracted weapon obsessed enthusiasts to the siege of Sarajevo where reportedly different rates were charged for men, women, and children.  

So, the question begs to be asked – Is this obsession with violence and war innate in human beings, or is it fostered through a culture that glorifies war in videogames and movies. 

Commercialisation of War (Games) 

‘Fortnite’, ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Battlefield’, from varying levels of realness many of the top games on the market today feature guns at their forefront.  Which begs the question – to what extent do these games glorify and romanticise weapons? Every year more games, tv shows, and movies are released and yet the global desire is never satiated. It seems that the market is ever increasing and as ever society is divided over their place in our homes. Are they purely entertainment? Or are they driven by a (less extreme) desire as the ‘Sniper Safaris’.  

Violent Apathy 

Be it cause or correlation, despite being surrounded by violent imagery in all areas of media, young people are growing completely desensitised to it. Today our news is filled with graphic depictions of war, harrowing accounts of school shootings and mass violence, and horrific acts of violence against women. This combined with a mass manufacturing of horror and war movies and games has almost normalised acts of extreme violence. The shock factor has been removed, and a form of apathy has replaced it.  

Young people being exposed to war isn’t new. Soldiers as young as 14 fought in the trenches of WW1. But nowadays rather than a minority, it is taken as a fact that most teenagers have encountered violence – and in a far more graphic and disturbing way than before. In our new digital age, news doesn’t just travel fast, but videos and images too. Videos and images which are uploaded at rates quicker than any screening can be done. As a result, graphic imagery is beamed at fast speeds almost immediately after an event occurs. Gone are the days of separation and discretion, today is the day of violent reckoning and immersion. 

Conclusion 

Should we find ‘Dark Tourism’ more shocking – definitely. But in the era of true crime and right-wing rhetoric, this unfortunately isn’t surprising. It was found by the American Academy of Paediatrics that emotional desensitisation can be caused by an exposure of violence across various contexts [3]. Something that is hard to avoid today. This fact may be depressing, but what it does prove is just how important and special the people who strive for peace are, why we should continue to preserve positive imagery when we can, and why we should always care deeply about each other. 

References 

1 – Kamin, Debra. 2014. “The Rise of Dark Tourism” The Atlantic. The Atlantic. July 15, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/07/the-rise-of-dark-tourism/374432/. 

‌ 2 – Rainsford, Sarah. “Italy Probes Claim That Tourists Paid to Go to Bosnia to Kill Besieged Civilians,” November 12, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3epygq5272o. 

3- Pittaro, Michael, PhD. “What Are the Long-term Consequences to Children and Adolescents?” Psychology Today, May 6, 2019. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-crime-and-justice-doctor/201905/exposure-media-violence-and-emotional-desensitization?msockid=1f43347244496ef2274f22e145946f33.