Astrotourism Development
The Dark Sky Cooperative helps communities turn dark night skies into meaningful, place-based visitor experiences. Our astrotourism development work focuses on building practical tools, branding frameworks, and destination-level resources that support sustainable tourism, dark-sky stewardship, and rural economic development.
Astrotourism Development Launchpad
Developed for the Utah Office of Tourism, the Astrotourism Development Launchpad is a practical resource for businesses, destination organizations, tourism operators, community leaders, and aspiring entrepreneurs working to build dark-sky visitor experiences.
The Launchpad consists of six-modules covering: astrotourism basics; business planning; Utah-specific licensing, regulatory, and dark-sky designation information; best practices for protecting dark skies; marketing strategies; and case studies of astrotourism businesses.
Module 1
Astrotourism basics, including dark sky awareness, benefits of dark sky viewing, celestial events, and how to experience the night sky.
Module 2
Business planning guidance, including feasibility, financial projections, and foundational planning considerations for astrotourism ventures.
Module 3
Utah-specific licensing, regulatory, permitting, zoning, and dark-sky designation information relevant to astrotourism development.
Module 4
Best practices and guidelines for protecting dark skies for both entrepreneurs and visitors engaging in astrotourism.
Module 5
Marketing strategies for astrotourism, including digital storytelling, partnerships, positioning, and destination promotion.
Module 6
Case studies and examples of astrotourism businesses to help communities and entrepreneurs learn from existing models.
Utah Dark Sky Trail
The Utah Dark Sky Trail is a destination development and marketing initiative designed to unify Utah’s remarkable collection of DarkSky-certified places into a connected travel experience.
The Trail is a statewide network of parks, monuments, communities, and partners that can help attract conservation-minded travelers, support rural economies, and disperse visitation beyond Utah’s most heavily visited destinations. It is intended to promote dark skies as a tourism asset that blends recreation, science, stewardship, and cultural heritage.
Partner on Astrotourism Development
We work with destination organizations, communities, public land agencies, and entrepreneurs to build astrotourism experiences rooted in stewardship, place, and long-term value. If you are interested in collaborating on dark-sky destination development, we welcome the conversation.
