Recently, the Office of Astronomy for Development was featured twice on the Night Sky Tourist podcast, run by Vicky Derksen, a Dark Sky advocate dedicated to helping everyone discover the night sky in a whole new way. Joyful Mdhluli was interviewed for Episode 107- Mental Health & Stargazing where she shared the work being done […]
Category Archives: Flagship 1
30
Sep
Sep
Dr Charles Takalana and Dr Joyful Mdhluli from the OAD attended World Tourism Day 2024 celebrations in the town of Carnarvon, South Africa on 26-27 September 2024. World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on September 27 throughout the world as declared by the United Nations. The two day celebration consisted of four events: two events […]
24
Jul
Jul
Astrotourism for Socioeconomic Development Traditionally, astrotourism has been a niche pursuit, centered around scientific exploration and specialized equipment. However, this narrow focus has limited its potential to drive socioeconomic development in rural communities. Our approach is a radical departure from the norm. We believe that by reimagining astrotourism as an extension of ecotourism and cultural […]
08
Jun
Jun
The objectives of this project were: (i) To expose tourist guides to knowledge in astronomy. (ii) To equip them with extra skills in entrepreneurship and astro-tour hospitality and service. (iii) To revamp the tourism sector in Peninsular Malaysia with a new niche in astronomy tourism. Activities The original plan was to conduct a 10-day physical […]
02
Nov
Nov
A diverse team, including a cultural anthropologist, a camera expert, an astrophysicist, and an entrepreneur, collaborated to train the inaugural batch of astronomy guides in Malaysia. The participants in this program come from various professional backgrounds such as city tour guides, naturalists, tourism operators, and amateurs. To equip them with profound knowledge and skills, we […]