Heritage, history and the darker side of tourism

PRETORIA - When most people think of tourism in South Africa, the images that come to mind are game drives at the Kruger National Park, the warm beaches of Durban or Cape Town's majestic Table Mountain. For University of Pretoria master's student Louisa Jordaan, the picture looks a little different: she's studying serial killer tourism.

Serial killer tourism may sound like the plot of a crime series, but it's a niche within the global travel industry and Jordaan is putting South Africa on the research map.

So, what exactly is serial killer tourism?

At its core, it's about visiting places linked to infamous serial killers, including where they lived, where they committed their crimes, the courts where they were sentenced and sometimes even where they spent their final days.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, serial killer tours, which fall under the umbrella of dark tourism, are Page 2 of 3 established attractions.South Africa, however, has yet to dip a toe into this shadowy niche.

"Surprisingly, South Africa has the third-highest number of serial killers in the world, after the USA and the UK" Jordaan explains. "We have plenty of stories and sites that could attract visitors - but the concept has never been developed here. I believe it's possible to establish a serial killer tourism attraction in South Africa."

Dark tourism in the South African context

Unlike battlefield tourism, war memorials, or township tourism - all of which fall under dark tourism - serial killer tourism hasn't taken root locally. Jordaan explains that township tourism can fall under dark tourism because although today it's vibrant and culturally rich, its origins are rooted in suffering and inequality.

She says part of the reason serial killer tourism hasn't taken root in South Africa is cultural: South Africans tend to shy away from talking about death and when it comes to tourism, there's a preference to focus on the country's sunnier, more positive image.

But times are changing. The rise of true-crime documentaries, streaming services and podcasts have created a surge of public interest in the country. Books about South African serial killers, once niche, are now widely available and have become far more popular among the general public, particularly from 2020.

Closing the research gap

My research seeks to establish whether a serial killer tourism attraction in South Africa is economically viable and feasible, how citizens would react to it and how it would be possible to create such an attraction," Jordaan explains.

Her study is still underway, but Jordaan has already identified key issues that can shape this niche locally. "Ethical concerns are always at the forefront when it comes to sensitive topics like this one. I was thinking of approaching this from an angle where one commemorates and memorialises the victims because in all the books that I've read, the victims aren't really mentioned. It's almost as if they just become a number on a police docket," she says, adding that what usually takes centre stage is the perpetrators.

"The focus is on the perpetrator because they're a social anomaly, by all accounts. The grieving families get left behind in the shadows and we tend to forget the victims and only remember the horrible things the perpetrator did."

Jordaan sees the potential to utilise this interest to create educational value. "I find it very interesting how the mind of a serial killer works. So, I was looking to create an educational attraction that would give a glimpse into how serial killers operate, into what triggers them, what goes on in their minds, why they do the things that they do, and into what shapes a serial killer."

"In my opinion, I think it would be a viable avenue to go down because people are fascinated by these sorts of things. A tourism attraction like this would be a safe place for people to interact with their fears and their ideas of death and serial killers. I think it would benefit our society," she says.

Financial viability and honouring the victims

On the financial side, Jordaan sees serial killer tourism in South Africa operating differently compared to the other markets.

"In the South African context, I think the profit element should largely be a willing, almost like a donation type of Page 3 of 3 revenue," she says. While overseas tours tend to be straightforward commercial ventures where visitors pay guides and the income ends there, Jordaan envisions a system with an additional social benefit.

"What would be ideal is if people could pay an amount of their choosing to go on a tour or to see the attraction and then the revenue goes to women's shelters and organisations that fight for the protection of human rights and also to families. No amount of money will ever bring a loved one back, but I think this will be one, albeit small, way to right some of the wrongs that have been committed against the families of the victims."