Dialogues in the dark: Reconceptualizing peak experience in night tourism through autoethnography

Night tourism is commonly examined through economic activity and entertainment consumption, while its emotional and introspective dimensions remain underexplored. This study investigates how nocturnal environments shape inner immersion and emotional processes that lead to peak experiences. Using analytic autoethnography, the research draws on reflective field notes and experiential observations from two contrasting destinations in Vietnam: the foggy mountain city of Da Lat and Hon Son Island. The findings reveal a sequential experiential process in which the night environment triggers inner immersion, this immersion releases emotional responses, and these emotions culminate in distinct peak experiences. Da Lat generates confrontational depth, where dense atmospheric conditions intensify memories and emotional reflection. Hon Son Island produces reconciliational breadth, where the open seascape fosters calmness and emotional balance. The study introduces the concept of inner immersion as a mediating mechanism and proposes a contextual framework explaining how different nocturnal environments shape transformative experiences.