5. Africa: Space Tourism
Astronomy and space tourism are taking off in Africa as South Africa develops world-class space technology and becomes a major hub for astronomy. South Africa boasts the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT), Meerkat research facility. Visitors to the telescope now exceed 13,000 per year.
Astro-tourism attracts all age groups, ranging from independent travellers and families to amateur and professional astronomers.
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Opportunities for astro-tourism are huge as 50% of the world’s population can no longer see the stars so few places in the world remain where people can enjoy the skies pollution free. Tour and wildlife guides can be trained in basic astronomy and telescopes can be placed in hotels and observation sites. By quantifying light pollution levels, it will be possible to map out the best places to promote astro-tourism in Africa, creating demand for destinations with areas suited to observe clear night skies.
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