Blundell, E., Schaffer, V., & Moyle, B. D. (2020). Dark sky tourism and the sustainability of regional tourism destinations. Tourism Recreation Research, 45(4), 549–556.
Abstract: Destinations across the globe face severe and potentially irreversible consequences from tourism growth and development. Contemporary approaches such as reducing access or site closures have been identified to increase demand, potentially exacerbating negative impacts. Despite acknowledgement of the impacts of tourism, limited studies have considered the ‘night sky’ as a tourism destination, nor the implications for regional sustainability. Consequently, the aim of this research is to explore the intersection between Dark sky tourism (DST) and sustainability within regional tourism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Murweh Shire, in outback Australia. The analysis revealed sustainability, ethics and education as critical to achieving sustainable DST in a regional setting. A core contribution of this research is a conceptual model for sustainable DST. Future research is required to further explore ethics as a critical, yet often neglected, component of sustainable tourism.
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C-Sanchez, E., Sanchez-Medina, A. J., Alonso-Hernandez, J. B., & Voltes-Dorta, A. (2019). Astrotourism and Night Sky Brightness Forecast: First Probabilistic Model Approach. Sensors (Basel), 19(13), 2840.
Abstract: Celestial tourism, also known as astrotourism, astronomical tourism or, less frequently, star tourism, refers to people's interest in visiting places where celestial phenomena can be clearly observed. Stars, skygazing, meteor showers or comets, among other phenomena, arouse people's interest, however, good night sky conditions are required to observe such phenomena. From an environmental point of view, several organisations have surfaced in defence of the protection of dark night skies against light pollution, while from an economic point of view; the idea also opens new possibilities for development in associated areas. The quality of dark skies for celestial tourism can be measured by night sky brightness (NSB), which is used to quantify the visual perception of the sky, including several light sources at a specific point on earth. The aim of this research is to model the nocturnal sky brightness by training and testing a probabilistic model using real NSB data. ARIMA and artificial neural network models have been applied to open NSB data provided by the Globe at Night international programme, with the results of this first model approach being promising and opening up new possibilities for astrotourism. To the best of the authors' knowledge, probabilistic models have not been applied to NSB forecasting.
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Checa, J., & Nel·lo, O. (2018). Urban Intensities. The Urbanization of the Iberian Mediterranean Coast in the Light of Nighttime Satellite Images of the Earth. Urban Science, 2(4), 115.
Abstract: The contribution shares the approach of critical urban studies that have conceptualized urbanization more as a process than as a sum of spatial forms. Thus, the contribution studies the urbanization process not only from the point of view of the physical occupation of land but also considers changes in the intensity of the uses of space. To fulfill this aim, the new sources of nocturnal satellite images are particularly useful. These allow us to observe the intensity of urban uses both in terms of their distribution over space and their recurrence over time. The research focuses on the Iberian Mediterranean coast and permits the verification of the intensity of the urban uses of the space for the whole of this area and their seasonal variations throughout the year. The source of the study are the nighttime satellite images of the Earth for the 2012–2017 period from the NASA SNPP satellite equipped with the VIIRS-DNB instrument. By establishing a threshold of urban light the research shows that those districts with the greatest extensions of urban light do not necessarily correspond with the most densely populated areas. Similarly the absence of urban light does not necessarily indicate the absence of urban uses. Finally, the variations of intensity of light prove to be a good indicator of seasonal variations of activity in tourist areas.
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Collison, F. M., & Poe, K. (2013). “Astronomical Tourism”: The Astronomy and Dark Sky Program at Bryce Canyon National Park. Tourism Management Perspectives, 7, 1–15.
Abstract: Astronomical tourism represents a less-studied segment of sustainable tourism, where a dark night sky is the underlying resource. This article evaluates an astronomical tourism program, in this case at a national park with dark skies for observing. Bryce Canyon National Park (BCNP) in the southwestern United States has a well-developed astronomy program to serve visitors. The program consists of solar viewing during the day, multimedia evening programs, and night-time star gazing with telescopes. Depending on the specific measure used, it appears that up to 10% of park visitors may be involved with the formal Astronomy and Dark Sky Program and/or more informal astronomy activities. BCNP appears well positioned to take advantage of the dark sky attributes of the park and to educate visitors about the importance of maintaining and/or increasing the darkness of night skies. Potential future developments in the program may serve to further increase the number of visitors to BCNP.
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Derrien, M. M., & Stokowski, P. A. (2020). Discursive constructions of night sky experiences: Imagination and imaginaries in national park visitor narratives. Annals of Tourism Research, 85, 103038.
Abstract: Communities and protected areas worldwide have initiated programs to protect and promote dark night skies. Yet, limited research has explored how and why night skies become of interest or meaningful to people. Because night skies are literally beyond human reach, we focus on how visitors to a U.S. national park imagine night skies and invoke imaginaries that make night skies meaningful. Drawing from interviews, we examine how visitors use symbolic language, narrative, and other discursive practices to develop the social, cultural, and spatial contexts of their night sky experiences. Findings inform our understanding of imagination and imaginaries in tourism and recreation research, while offering new approaches to night skies research.
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