Dark tourism, the travel to places associated with death, tragedy, and collective suffering, has received growing scholarly attention over the past two decades. However, empirical evidence from emerging economies such as India remains limited. This study addresses that gap by examining how tourist motivations shape attitudes toward dark tourism sites in India. Drawing on motivation and attitude theories, a conceptual model was developed linking four key drivers: morbid curiosity, heritage learning, emotional engagement, and remembrance. Survey data were collected from Indian travelers who had visited or expressed interest in visiting sites associated with historical tragedies. Structural equation modeling revealed that heritage learning and emotional engagement exert the strongest positive influence on visitor attitudes. Morbid curiosity operates indirectly, primarily by stimulating interest that leads to deeper emotional reflection, while remembrance also contributes significantly. Overall, the findings indicate that Indian visitors, especially younger, educated tourists, approach dark tourism primarily as an opportunity for reflection, historical understanding, and commemoration rather than sensational curiosity.
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