The new SAAO, South African Observatory Visitor Centre, officially opened its doors in Cape Town, vibrant port city of South Africa's southwest coast, the legislative capital and the seat of the Parliament of the nation, marking a key milestone in the country's National Astrotourism Strategy.
Announced on 9th July 2025 by Ministers Patricia de Lille and Blade Nzimande, the Astronomical Observatory Visitor Centre aims to merge science, education and tourism by offering interactive exhibits, indigenous celestial storytelling, and access to historical telescopes.
The initiative is co - founded by the Departments of Tourism and Science, Technology and Innovation, along with the National Research Foundation with the aim to boost astrotourism, a form of tourism focused on experiencing the night sky and celestial events, like stargazing, eclipses, and meteor showers among others.
South Africa is rapidly becoming a leading destination for astrotourism, leveraging its unique geographic advantages and world-class astronomical infrastructure. The country's vast, dark skies with minimal light pollution particularly in regions like the Karoo, offer exceptional stargazing and astronomical research opportunities.
Located on the historic SAAO grounds in Observatory, the Astronomical Observatory Visitor Centre of Cape Town supports all three pillars of the astro - tourism strategy: indigenous narrarives and skills development, infrastructure investment, and inclusive tourism growth.
The Astronomical Observatory Visitor Centre is projected to attract over 18.000 visitors annually and showcases how tourism and science can coexist to create economic and educational opportunities, and represents a growing focus on niche tourism offerings, highlighting South Africa's rich cultural and scientific heritage.
Link
https://atta.travel/resource/south-africa-launches-saao-visitor-centre-to-boost-astro-tourism.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks a lot to read and note.