Making full use of summer evenings to step out, have fun!

Over the past few weeks, I have watched a pop concert, a talk show, a stage play and several films after dusk, as a large number of performances are readily available in the capital city in the evenings.

I have had a higher willingness to head outdoors to relax and for entertainment this summer. I'm not alone.

Industry experts have observed that summer is the most active season for nighttime consumption, as the daylight extends and the weather becomes more suitable in the evenings, encouraging more people to step out for fun activities.

In comparison, nighttime consumption in spring and autumn is relatively stable, and consumers mainly flock to dining and entertainment venues.

"Outdoor consumption usually declines in winter due to cold weather, and the flow of people tends to concentrate at indoor venues such as restaurants, cinemas and shopping malls. Still, the overall scale of nighttime indoor consumption is smaller than that in summer," said Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Besides the launch of more nighttime performances, major scenic spots, amusement parks, museums and zoos have extended their opening hours or introduced special night tours such as light shows, night performances and night markets.

Night tours have been highly favored by tourists.

This summer, the overall booking volume for nighttime travel products has increased by 20 percent year-on-year, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.

In particular, the Yellow Crane Tower, a landmark in Wuhan, Hubei province, presents an immersive light show at night, and the booking volume of admission tickets for the show has doubled over last year. Other night tours in Xi'an, Shaanxi province; Wuzhen, Zhejiang province; and Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou province, have been quite well-received among travelers.

Meanwhile, with the opening of night sessions at multiple theme parks nationwide, the booking volumes of their nighttime admission tickets have significantly increased.For instance, the search volume for night tours at Happy Valley in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, this summer has surged nine-fold year-on-year, Qunar found.

Despite the high popularity of the night tourism economy in the country, there are still some challenges and room for improvement.

For instance, inadequate urban support facilities, early termination of nighttime public transportation, insufficient supply of public services such as lighting and garbage disposal, have affected consumers' willingness to travel at night, according to LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.

The sustainable development of nighttime consumption can't be achieved without the support of public services such as transportation, safety, lighting and sanitation, the consultancy said.

"Different cities should rely on local cultural IP to create differentiated and innovated nighttime consumption scenes. And local governments should lower operational barriers in terms of taxation and venues, and introduce more high-quality businesses to help promote consumption upgrade," said Wang Yijia, an analyst at LeadLeo.