Astro tourism is a growing tourism area that involves travelling to places that offer the best view to gaze at the sky and other celestial bodies. The branch of nature tourism depends on strong human association and fascination with the stellar cosmic elements.
When almost everything pales before the unbounded mortal imagination, the vastness of the sky and mysteries beyond it have always remained an enigma for human beings. From children’s innocent fantasies of fairyland to the religious beliefs woven around heaven and celestial power, the realm above earth has assumed a significant role for us. It is as if we have always held some primitive association with the world above.
For decades, people were known to travel to different places for observing rare phenomena such as meteorite fall, eclipses, Auroras, green flash, etc. Nevertheless, in the past couple of years, the curiosity to witness and decipher such optical events has become widespread, thanks to the growing inventions and series of astronomical successes.
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Tourism providers are embracing the new concept, building observatories at locations best known for offering striking views while also integrating other areas of hospitality to enrich traveller’s experience.
It could prove to be the next big thing for the travel sector, especially after the world emerges from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us understand why:
The ‘nature-philic’ effect of COVID-19
The pandemic has not only caused behavioural and psychological changes in humans, but it has also somehow brought human civilization closer to nature. During the remote work trends, the spare time allowed many to profusely observe the surrounding environment, rekindling the subdued love for nature.
There has been remarkable growth in natural tourism’s popularity while people value elements of sustainability and responsibility in their travel packages. Such transition is expected to positively impact Astro tourism that is all about nature and our elaborate connection with celestial objects.
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Gradually decreasing visual access to nighttime sky
The starlit sky, which has been a common occurrence for the past generations, is getting less and less available as growing pollution obscures direct access to heavenly views.
The rareness to calmly gaze at the night sky in a world full of skyscrapers and artificial lights motivate people to travel places that still offer direct visual access to the sky.
Increasing astronomical awareness among people
Over the past couple of decades, people have grown scientifically connected with the stellar phenomenon. The increased diffusion of knowledge and awareness of upcoming recent events through technological sources has able to enhance our understanding related to the permutations and combinations of the celestial objects.
People are more concerned about knowing basic facts beyond earth, and schools often conduct students’ visits to observatories and places to increase the understandings through direct observations. Amid the growing awareness and increasing focus towards the first-hand experience of stellar phenomena, Astro tourism can see a bright future.
The stars are aligning for Astro tourism, backed by the transition in people’s focus and behaviour, while the growing rareness makes the astronomical phenomenon more sough-after. The travel sector, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, could use the booming area of nature tourism to chart out its recovery in a robust fashion.
Source: Kalkine Media
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