Astro-tourism: Discovering a whole new world under the stars

Astro-tourism is a form of tourism that involves traveling to remote or dark-sky areas to observe celestial phenomena, such as stars, planets, and meteor showers, away from light pollution. This study aims to evaluate the current status and potential of astro-tourism in Melikler Plateau, located in the Yenişarbademli district of Isparta. As one of the darkest locations in Turkey, identified by experts, this region is a prime destination for sky observation tourism due to its distance from city lights. The research collects data from three stakeholders: decision-makers (municipality, district governorate, provincial directorate of culture and tourism, and universities), residents, and tourism students experiencing astro-tourism for the first time. The collected data were analyzed thematically using content analysis. The findings indicate that all stakeholders agree on developing astro-tourism to contribute to the region’s economic and tourism growth.