International Journal of Tourism Cities

Sustainable Evening and Night-time Visitor Experiences in Tourism Cities

Overview and rationale

The evening and night-time visitor economy has become a defining characteristic of contemporary urban destinations around the globe, underpinning economic vitality, facilitating social exchange, and reinforcing place identity. From live music venues and night markets to cultural festivals and gastronomy districts, nightlife plays a pivotal role in enhancing the vibrancy and competitiveness of global tourism cities (Jiwa et al., 2009; Hae, 2011; Roberts & Eldridge, 2012; Lin et al., 2022). Recent scholarship highlights how the spatial distribution and intensity of night-time activities shape tourism development, community interaction, and cultural consumption (Dejun et al., 2025; Zmyslony & Pawlusiński, 2020).

However, the growth of the night-time and evening visitor economy can also present challenges for key decision-makers in urban tourism destinations, including brand image, conflicts with local communities, the preservation of local heritage, and environmental sustainability, among others. Noise, safety, and security risks in districts with evening and night-time entertainment can compound the effects of overtourism. This poses specific challenges in terms of planning and management (Pinke-Sziva et al., 2019; Mnguni & Fitchett, 2025).

In the post-pandemic context, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a valuable framework for reimagining nightlife tourism as more inclusive, responsible, and resilient. This entails, among others:

• Managing noise, safety, and security in night-time economies.
• Promoting cultural respect and authenticity while avoiding commodification.
• Implementing environmentally conscious practices in urban night-time venues and events.
• Ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for diverse residents and visitors.

Despite increasing recognition by policymakers, tourism boards, and urban planners, academic engagement with sustainable nightlife tourism remains fragmented and often descriptive. Much of the current work addresses isolated themes rather than providing a holistic framework (Zmyslony & Pawlusiński, 2020). This special issue aims to address this gap in our understanding by bringing together empirical studies, conceptual advances, and policy-oriented insights that critically examine the opportunities, tensions, and pathways for developing sustainable nightlife tourism in urban settings.

Topics

We welcome a wide range of conceptual, empirical, and methodological papers addressing — but not limited to — the following themes within the context of the evening and night-time visitor economy in tourism cities:

• Evening and night-time visitor economy – aligning economic, social, and environmental objectives in the context of the visitor economy of tourism cities
• Cultural sustainability – preserving local identity, traditions, and creative scenes in globalised nightlife settings
• Safety and security – strategies for risk management, crowd control, and responsible visitor behaviour
• Inclusivity and accessibility – ensuring equitable participation for women, LGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and older visitors
• Environmental management – reducing waste, energy use, and carbon emissions in night-time venues and events
• Technology and innovation – the role of digital platforms, AI, and immersive experiences in shaping sustainable evening and night-time economy experiences
• Governance and policy – the role of city governments, destination management organisations, and cross-sector partnerships in delivering an interdisciplinary approach to management challenges related to evening and night-time activities
• Resident–tourist relationships – managing perceptions, conflicts, and the co-creation of sustainable experiences that remain inclusive in nature
• Post-crisis resilience – rebuilding nightlife tourism in the wake of pandemics, political unrest, or natural disasters