The astrotourism initiatives survey is ongoing and will continue to accept responses. As new responses are submitted, the results will be updated below. We extend our gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to complete the survey and contribute to our understanding of the global astrotourism landscape.
Please note: Due to the continuous updating of survey results, the text may occasionally not align with the data presented in the pie charts. However, we will ensure the text is regularly updated to reflect the latest results.
To gain a better understanding of the types of individuals or organisations involved in night-time activities, we categorised the responses, recognising that astrotourism combines the tourism sector and the sciences. This categorisation helps us analyse the distribution of astrotourism between these two fields. Common organisations within the science/astronomy domain include observatories and planetariums and therefore those were added two of the categories. We also added “tourism businesses” as a category, as they dominate the tourism sector. Additionally, we included “National Astrotourism Strategy” as a category to capture initiatives driven by national efforts to promote astrotourism. Lastly, we added “passion project” as a category to acknowledge initiatives born from a personal love of astronomy and a desire to share the wonders of the sky with others. Those that not fall within these options are categorised as “other”.
Below is a breakdown of the types of astrotourism initiatives by category. The majority operate as tourism businesses, followed by a significant number of National Astrotourism strategies/initiatives and observatory facilities.
A wide range of activities can be offered during an astrotourism experience, depending on the resources available. To highlight these activities, we included a “Key Features” section in the survey to gather information about the various options that can be provided.
The majority of initiatives focus on stargazing tours and astronomy lectures or talks, with a significant number also participating in local astronomy festivals and events. It is unsurprising that stargazing tours are the most common activity, as they are an excellent way to showcase the inspirational potential of astronomy. Cultural astronomy is another accessible activity, particularly for those without access to telescopes. Storytelling under the night sky can connect people to the stars while also sharing the cultural heritage of the community.
Astrotourism remains a niche form of tourism, with many initiatives either self-funded or dependent on external funding to sustain their activities. To gain insight into how these initiatives manage to continue operating, we asked whether they are financially self-sustaining.
The survey revealed that most astrotourism initiatives are either already financially self-sustaining or aspire to achieve this in the near future. This result is unsurprising, given that a significant proportion of responses came from observatories, planetariums, or tourism businesses.
One of the key insights the OAD identified during the analysis of lessons learned from past projects and the development of guidelines for those interested in starting their own initiatives was the importance of establishing partnerships. Whether local or international, partnerships are crucial for providing support, sharing knowledge, and learning from others’ experiences.
The most prominent collaborators include other tourism businesses, followed by NGOs, and local governments or municipalities.