In a time when people feel the need to escape and unplug more than ever, plenty of travelers are seeking out the solace of a night sky full of stars—and empty of light pollution. Dark sky tourism, also called astrotourism, gives people the opportunity to get away from the distraction of constant light and gain a deeper appreciation for darkness, as well as its positive effects on our local environments and our own sense of place.
It can be challenging for people to find areas that are truly dark at night, though, with over 82% of people in the U.S. living in urban areas, according to 2020 census data. The majority of Americans can’t see wondrous visions like the Milky Way in their hometowns. Fortunately, dark sky sites can act as a refuge from light pollution and serve as a key tourism draw for DMOs in these areas.
Studying Dark Sky Tourism’s Potential Economic Impacts
Astrotourism can be a low-impact, sustainable and profitable form of tourism that DMOs can easily capitalize on. A 2019 study from Missouri State University dove into the economic impact of dark sky tourism in national parks on the Colorado Plateau (an area that includes parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah). The study forecasted that nonlocal tourists to the area will spend $5.8 billion over a 10-year period. Those tourism dollars would generate $2.4 billion in wages and create more than 10,000 additional jobs each year in the region.
Past data supports this forecast. In 2016, Utah saw 5.5 million visitors come to one of its dark sky national parks, with an estimated 621,875 overnight visitors. Because astrotourists are specifically planning an overnight stay, they will spend more during a given visit than day-trippers—at least three times as much, as a matter of fact. For National Park Service visitors, an average day visit brought in $90 per party, while a party staying at NPS overnight lodging spent an average of $270. Visitors who stayed in non-NPS overnight lodging spent an average of $390.
In 2022, 312 million national park visitors spent an estimated $23.9 billion in local gateway regions while visiting these parks, supporting 378,000 jobs and producing $17.5 billion in labor income across the country. Another advantage of promoting dark sky tourism is that the star-gazing conditions are often better in the non-summer months. This offers up the chance to increase area visitation year-round and manage tourism seasonality during the off season.
The draw of dark sky tourism is measurable—as well as the potential losses if dark skies were to start disappearing. In 2023, instructors and students from the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado College surveyed visitors to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, which is designated as a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park. The survey found that 47% of respondents (who spend an average of $80 per day at the park) would reduce their future visitation if light pollution became more like neighboring municipalities. The researchers estimated that the region could see a GDP loss between $190,000 and $325,000 per year if light pollution significantly increased.
Where Dark Sky Sites Can Be Found
Is it only national parks that qualify as dark sky sites and could benefit from astrotourism? Not at all.
With the help of resources like DarkSky International—a nonprofit dedicated to sharing the benefits of the dark sky environment—we can see dark sky sites across the globe where DMOs could capture the attention of astrotourists. The organization has five designations within its International Dark Sky Places program to encourage communities to prioritize protecting dark sights:
- International Dark Sky Sanctuaries: The most remote places that are typically the darkest, whose conservation state is the most fragile and in need of protection
- International Dark Sky Parks: Publicly or privately owned conservation areas in remote areas with fewer threats to the quality of their night skies, that implement deliberate outdoor lighting techniques, and that provide dark sky programs
- International Dark Sky Reserves: Dark “core” zones within a populated area where policy controls protect the darkness of that core
- International Dark Sky Communities: Cities and towns with outdoor lighting ordinances that educate their residents about the importance of dark skies
- Urban Night Sky Places: Urban spots that promote an authentic nighttime experience despite being among significant artificial light
DarkSky International also offers a designation for DarkSky Approved Lodging, which includes overnight accommodations that offer starry nights for visitors. Earning this designation can help a destination’s hospitality partners earn a share in the lucrative astrotourism market.
