South Africa to become first African nation to develop national Astro-Tourism Strategy

FILE PHOTO: A photo taken by NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik from the International Space Station on August 3, 2017. From his vantage point in low Earth orbit Bresnik pointed his camera toward the rising Moon. NASA/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

South Africa is set to make history as the first African nation to develop and implement a National Astro-Tourism Strategy.

The initiative, led by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with the Department of Science and Innovation, will be officially launched on September 27, 2024, during the National Tourism Day celebrations.

The strategy will transform the Northern Cape province, home to the cutting-edge MeerKAT radio telescope, into a global hub for astro-tourism. The MeerKAT will soon be integrated into the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, the world's most powerful radio telescope, further enhancing the region's appeal to stargazers and space enthusiasts, Space in Africa reports.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille emphasised the potential of astro-tourism to drive development in the Karoo region. “We want to use the SKA and astro-tourism as catalysts to develop the Karoo region, providing opportunities for rural tourism and agri-tourism,” she said.

The initiative is also expected to boost the tourism sector's contribution to South Africa's economy, which reached 8.8% of the GDP in the first quarter of 2024, with projections to grow to 10.4% by 2030.

Etornam Kornu