NORFOLK ISLAND: THANATOURISM, HISTORY AND VISITOR EMOTIONS MEGAN BEST

An increasingly popular tourism niche involves visits to sites of death and human suffering. This form of travel has become known as 'thanatourism' and its study is a research field that has emerged from studies of war and battlefield tourism (Seaton, 1996, 1999). Although considered to be a highly emotional experience for visitors, little remains known about thanatourists' emotions during visits (Austin, 2002). To begin to fill this research gap, the current study explored tourists' emotions whilst visiting Norfolk Island's convict sites and attractions. Norfolk Island is a self-governing external territory of Australia, located in the South-West Pacific. It is rich in history and culture; a heritage that remains the nucleus of the islands primary industry - tourism. Study findings are drawn from arrival and departure visitor questionnaires and follow-up, in-depth, post-travel interviews. The findings indicate that viewing convict sites produces a multitude of emotions, all of which impact on visitor experiences in some way. The study utilises Fredrickson's (1998) Broaden and Built Theory of Positive Emotions to explore how visitors' thought-action repertoires are broadened throughout their emotional encounters. Findings build upon current knowledge of thanatourism and Norfolk Island's history and heritage. In doing so, the study has developed a greater understanding of the role of emotions in visitor experiences.