Ever wondered what astrotourism is? Me too.

Image from Contiki

I hadn’t really heard of astrotourism until this year, and my first thought was “Oh so are people going to start being tourists in space now?”. No that’s not what astrotourism means at all, and thankfully, because I was worried. 

Astrotourism is a form of tourism based on nature, specifically focused on viewing stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in the physical universe. It’s predicted to become the next big travel trend and sounds pretty cool right? Let’s dive in a little deeper.

Image from RMS

What do you do on astrotourism excursions?

As I mentioned before, astrotourism revolves around the concept of viewing celestial bodies or events. It could include astrophotography, looking through a telescope, observing constellations, etc.

Typically groups will travel together to remote locations where the effects of light pollution are absent or minimal. This allows for the best view possible, as long as the skies are clear of clouds. 

Image from Forbes

Where do you go to participate?

There are many locations across the globe where you can escape light pollution, however, some areas are more popular than others. Here is a list of some of the best destinations for astrotourism in Utah, and here’s another list of the best places for astrotourism throughout the United States. 

You can also participate in astrotourism all over the globe, in places such as:

• Dubrovnik, Croatia

• Riviera Maya, Mexico

• Norway

• Rome, Italy

• Los Cabos, Mexico

Image from The Australian

Who should you go with?

So now that you know what astrotourism is and where you can go to experience it, the final question is: Who do you bring with you?

The answer is simple: anyone who would be able to appreciate the wonders of the sky with you. Dragging along a friend, sibling, or spouse who would complain the whole time is a bad idea. And from what I’ve collected about astrotourism, I would also not recommend taking kids under the age of 13. 

Astrotourism can take a lot of patience, whether that’s waiting for the clouds to pass, a comment to fly by, or your turn to look through a telescope. So maybe you just want to go alone and find a group trip online. No matter what you choose, it’s sure to be a memorable trip!