Noctourism’s predicted to be the biggest trend this year, but what’s behind its rise? Travel booking site Booking.com named noctourism in its annual survey Travel Predictions, explaining it’s manifesting in star bathing experiences and trips around cosmic events. National Geographic also groups after-dark experiences as noctourism.
One reason for its rise is that it lets guests appreciate a destination differently. Blue Mountains’ Scenic World’s nighttime experience Nocturnal allows you to see the Three Sisters lit up against the park’s darkness, admire light projections inspired by the local landscape and history and walk in an illuminated forest.
“Though millions of people have visited us during the day, being here at night is an entirely new adventure,” says Axel Moline, head of marketing at Scenic World. “It’s a sensory experience and feels like a totally different environment.”
InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef‘s nocturnal walk shows another side to the island. Kayte Staraj, the hotel’s general manager, says that while the island’s scenery during the day is stunning, at night, the view isn’t the hero — the focus is on the wildlife, specifically the proserpine rock wallaby that was once endangered but now thrives on Hayman.
Another reason for the appeal of nighttime experiences is the chance to learn. For guests on Star Safari in New Zealand’s Wairarapa, it’s an opportunity to learn about astronomy, a topic once seen as a complex science reserved for specialists.
“People want to learn more about our planet and universe,” Hari Mogoșanu, owner and operator of Star Safari, says. “They want to go on knowledge tourism quests, come home and know they have learnt something new and profound.”
Staraj says there’s also appeal in the fact that many nighttime experiences are well-priced and an alternative option to a night of drinking. Lauren Benson, founder of luxury travel concierge Benson Bespoke, says she’s noticed firsthand her clients are more interested in nighttime experiences. She attributes the charm to a couple reasons.
“Travel has always been about discovery, but there’s something so unique about experiencing a destination after dark that feels more intimate and, in many cases, more luxurious,” Benson says. “Luxury is all about exclusivity, and noctourism plays perfectly into that.”
The rising interest could also be because most nighttime experiences can’t easily be captured in photos and videos. This means it needs to be appreciated in real life. Staraj says she often sees rock wallabies hopping away before guests can capture. “Guests quickly learn to just look at their gorgeous faces and always look for the joey,” she says.
On the Star Safari experience, guests are asked at the start not to use their phones as doing so can ruin the dark sky for others. Still, though, Mogoșanu says nearly every tour, someone will do it anyway, attempting to take a photo. Like on Hayman’s night walk, people get frustrated with the result, so they put their phones away and just look.
“There will always be travellers determined to get the shot, but nighttime experiences rarely translate as beautifully in photos,” says Benson. “Noctourism is part of a return to guests simply embracing the quiet and being fully present for these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.”
In a nutshell, noctourism’s predicted rise is reflective of travellers wanting a different perspective on a destination and a refreshing alternative to typical nightlife. They’re also keen to learn. The difficulty in capturing these after-dark experiences in photos and videos encourages being presence and fostering a deeper connection with destinations. Which could be the exact antidote we need to combat overtourism.
Related: How Luxurious Can a Family-Friendly Hotel Really Be?
Related: Does De-Influencing Travel Signal the End of Bucket List Tourism?
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.