SOUTH AFRICA – The South African government has launched the National Astro-Tourism Strategy, the first in Africa positioning the country as a world-class astro-tourism location.
Patricia de Lille, South Africa’s Tourism Minister launched the strategy during the national Tourism Day celebrations in Carnarvon, Northern Cape.
The minister also revealed the Northern Cape province, home to the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope (the largest radio telescope in the world), was the focal point of the country’s astro-tourism strategy.
The telescope sets precedence for this unique form of experiential tourism that encompasses traveling for astronomy-centered experiences.
The strategy aims to facilitate night-time star gazing in the province’s rural locations that have access to dark skies. It also strives to facilitate observations of special events like meteor showers or solar eclipses.
According to the minister the remote and rural nature of the Northern Cape province makes it an excellent location for astro-tourism. The minister also lauded the region’s favorable weather and the advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere as unique selling points for the strategy.
However, the minister promised the rural communities residing in these rural areas should benefit from the sector’s contribution to the tourism value chain.
The strategy has been developed in collaboration with astronomy and tourism stakeholders and focuses on three key pillars: indigenous celestial narratives and human capacity development, infrastructure development, and inclusive tourism growth and partnerships.
Patricia de Lille revealed the government plans to invest in infrastructure development, community transformation, and marketing efforts to make the strategy successful.
The minister hopes to tap into the growing global interest in the sector. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the astro-tourism market is currently valued at US$30 billion and is expected to grow at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% until 2024.
Through the strategy, South Africa intends to mimic the success of Antofagasta in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a premier astro-tourism destination that has recorded 327% year-on-year growth through astro-tourism.
The Minister concluded, “The Northern Cape is the prime location to launch this strategy as 50% of the world’s population cannot see the beauty of the night sky but the African sky still remains at an advantage, by having the clearest and darkest night sky.”
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE
