The patriotic power: exploring positive emotions in dark tourism

The conceptual paper provides a theoretical framework on patriotism developing dark place attachment with the support of positive emotions in the dark tourism context. This study addresses a theoretical gap by explaining how positive emotions, especially patriotic sentiments, contribute to emotional bonding with dark sites. It presents 11 propositions explaining how tourists develop attachment to such destinations. With the association of many constructs of place attachment, patriotism is proposed as a mediator and moderator in dark place attachment. Using a conceptual approach, this study offers a new model showing how patriotism strengthens emotional bonds with dark places through positive emotions. It also clarifies the suitability of the Person – Process – Place framework in capturing tourist place bonding, representing a novel theoretical contribution.