Sociology of night tourism: An approach based on Simmel and Elias

Abstract

In social sciences and geography, the night is of increasing relevance. This paper explores the night’s importance in tourism, identifying areas of study in these and other disciplines where it has been analyzed. The
article notes that night and darkness are significant components of the tourism experience. Based on arguments from Georg Simmel and
Norbert Elias, it proposes that individuals and societies use dark tourist spaces to preserve their individuality against the homogeneity imposed by markets but also to foster their feeling that they are perfectly integrated into society.