Speaker
Description
Over the last decade, significant attention has been given to air, water, and land pollution, while light pollution has often been overlooked. Light pollution is defined as the excessive, misdirected, or unnecessary use of artificial lighting at night-lighting that goes beyond basic functional needs and becomes intrusive or harmful to the natural environment. This neglect stems partly from a lack of awareness regarding the adverse effects of artificial light on ecosystems and human health, but also from limited recognition of the night sky’s potential as a valuable and unique tourism resource. Hence, due to the negative effects associated with the tourist expansion, many destinations are increasingly exploring new frontiers to increase tourism demand while safeguarding its long-term sustainability. Dark Skies has emerged as a valuable natural resource that offers unique experiences, fostering the development of Astro Tourism. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Astro Tourism concept, as well as examine the opportunities and challenges associated with its development in Namibia. Astro tourism although an emerging niche is yet an understudied area within ecotourism. Namibia is a world-class tourist destination with unforgettable clear dark skies, nonetheless, tourists aren’t still recognizing it as Astro Tourism destination. Therefore, it is pressing to develop strategies that can help in boosting its sustainable development. Methodology: Non-systematic secondary research method was used, based on the existing literature exploring the multidimensionality of Astro Tourism and its potentiality. Essentially, it is a reflexive work that uses different approaches and meanings with the aim of defining conceptual analytical dimensions and consequently creating a framework that can later be used in other studies. Results: The study points out the fact that several ‘dark spots’ exist in rural areas in Namibia and could provide unpolluted night skies, offering ideal conditions for Astro Tourism development.
| Stream | Education, Development and Outreach |
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