A virtual road show of Mayo’s Dark Skies is ready to start

International Dark Sky Week, which takes place from today (April 5) to Monday, April 12, is, as its name suggests, a global affair, organised annually by the International Dark Sky Association.

On this global stage, Ireland is playing a leading role, particularly in County Mayo, home of Mayo Dark Sky Park.

Dark Sky Tourism is one of the many benefits the Dark Sky Park can bring to a rural area.

Just this past week the Government of Ireland launched ‘Our Rural Future’ - Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.

This document recognises the need for a national Dark Sky strategy to encourage tourism recovery in rural areas with an action to: “Develop a new Dark Skies Strategy, with a focus on the opportunities this unique blend of tourism and science can create for rural communities.”

William Cormacan, Divisional Manager for National Parks and Wildlife Service, said: “The natural asset that a dark sky park provides is a rare destination that many people cannot enjoy.

“Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park, home to the Mayo Dark Sky Park, has generated much interest from the public who are, now more than ever, seeking opportunities to escape crowds and reconnect with nature.

“The park provides an outdoor amenity for visitors to explore the landscape by day and the pristine skies by night.”

The time is now to explore the potential of dark sky tourism and we have invited world class speakers to join us for a free webinar on 9th April as part of International Dark Sky Week. This webinar aims to inform and inspire local businesses about the potential of Dark Sky Tourism for local hospitality businesses, with speakers from around the globe.

Padraig Philbin, Head of Tourism, Mayo County Council, said: “We see Dark Sky Tourism as an innovative mechanism to promote sustainable tourism and Mayo is perfectly positioned at the edge of the Atlantic, with some of the darkest skies in Europe.”

The first speaker of the event is Sonal Asgotraa of Astrostays ‘Community led Astro Tourism’ in India, who will discuss how their programme places sustainable tourism and community development at its core.

Fionnán Nestor, Fáilte Ireland, will present on Maximising the Potential of Dark Skies Tourism in Mayo.

“Interest in the outdoors, clean air and escaping crowds has never been greater since the arrival of Covid-19. Wild Nephin National Park / Mayo Dark Sky Park position Mayo as an ideal destination for those visitors seeking escape and pristine environment.

This talk will explore the potential of dark skies tourism in Mayo and the role sustainable tourism will play in driving the recovery, Fionnnán explained.

Sujay Patel, founder of MeetStargazers, will present a mobile app designed to promote astrotourism with features on the best places to stargaze. MeetStargazers is a marketing tool that businesses can avail of to highlight their ‘dark sky friendly premises’ to potential visitors in the winter seasons.

The webinar presentations will close with Terra Nova Dark Sky Preserve, a National Park that has successfully promoted stargazing and dark sky tourism in Canada, and we will hear from the team behind the programme there.

After the presentations, the speakers will form a panel to take questions and answers from the attendees. This is a very unique event and one not to be missed if you are considering innovations in sustainable tourism.

Free Registration via Eventbrite: www.mayodarkskies.eventbrite.com