Institutions join their efforts to boost astrotourism and raise awareness about light pollution, involving students in the preservation of dark skies in Chile and highlighting the job opportunities this industry offers.
Last Wednesday, May 30, Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile, gave the talk “Astrotourism as an opportunity for the care of dark skies” to tourism students at the Maipú and Puente Alto campuses of INACAP. The activity marks the beginning of a collaborative work between the Foundation and the largest technical-professional center in the country, to raise awareness among young people about light pollution and its impact on the astrotourism industry.
Astrotourism: an opportunity for the national tourism industry beyond the north
Chile is globally recognized for the quality of its dark skies, especially in the northern part of its territory, which has driven significant growth in the astrotourism industry. According to projections from Astroturismo Chile, the number of visitors interested in astronomical tourism is expected to triple by the end of this decade, increasing from 262,000 to 750,000 tourists annually. Additionally, with the investment being made by new observatories in the country, the organization anticipates that sector revenues could quadruple.
While astro-tourism activity is mainly concentrated in the north, a pole of astrotourism is also developing in the central part of the country. Just 57 kilometers from Santiago, in the commune of San José de Maipo in the Metropolitan Region, the offer of astrotourism services has grown, with tourist observatories like Pailalén and Roan Jasé.
“We believe that the New Lighting Standard will also have an impact in communes where pollution prevented a better quality of dark skies, which could be an opportunity for the development of this industry in a place close to Santiago like San José de Maipo,” said Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile.
INACAP and Fundación Cielos de Chile: training the future protectors of dark skies
The recent talk given by Fundación Cielos de Chile at the Puente Alto and Maipú campuses of INACAP marks the beginning of a collaborative work path between both institutions, as well as with other educational centers that have sought to include in their curriculum the importance of caring for the night skies.
According to Jaime Contreras, director of Community Engagement and Innovation at INACAP Puente Alto campus, tourism is the strength among the courses offered at the campuses in the southern and southeastern sectors of the Metropolitan Region. This is due to their proximity to the communes of San José de Maipo and Pirque, where there is a strong presence of the tourism industry.
Additionally, students have shown a particular interest in astronomical tourism, which Jaime believes can be explained by two factors: a general interest of these generations in nature and related topics; and the opportunities that astrotourism offers in Chile.
“There is significant interest in connecting with nature and contributing to something that is affecting us all, such as light pollution. Moreover, astrotourism generates a lot of interest among our students and opens up multiple possibilities for them. Therefore, it is very important for students to connect with institutions like Fundación Cielos de Chile, which are doing things that often go beyond the traditional framework of teaching that technical and professional organizations have,” added Jaime.
