astrotourism

American  

[as-troh-toor-iz-uhm] / ˌæs troʊˈtʊər ɪz əm /

noun

1. tourism for the purpose of viewing astronomical phenomena, especially stars, meteor showers, auroras, and other things visible only where the night sky is unaffected by light pollution from cities.

   We went to the Canary Islands for some quality astrotourism in one of their Starlight Reserves.

   The solar eclipse promises a boom in astrotourism for Western Australia.

---

Etymology

Origin of astrotourism

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

It's similar to forest bathing, which emerged in Japan in the 1980s and has now become part of a range of astrotourism and wellness practices.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Poiting with a green laser which extends into the night sky, Dafydd Wyn Morgan, owner of astrotourism company Serydda, shows us three stars in a line, telling us he loves Orion's Belt.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

A last job for the center will be to alert and seek help from other affected groups, including amateur astronomers, astrotourism operators, and Indigenous communities that observe the sky in their cultural practices.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 3, 2022

Several nearby lodges cater to astrotourism, such as Redfish Lake Lodge, which has pontoon boats for patrons who want to get out from under the trees to stargaze.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2021

But in the past five years, according to experts, the term astrotourism has evolved to describe more intentional travel to places with dark skies and more visible stars.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2018