First official meeting of the Working Group on Scientific Tourism 

The members of the Working Group (WG) on Scientific Tourism of the UNWTO, led by Starlight Foundation, gathered for the first time on 3 December 2020 to exchange views on developing new initiatives and discuss a practical roadmap for 2021.

The meeting was convened by Ms Antonia Varela, Director of the Starlight Foundation and attended by the members of the WG: Mrs. Apolónia Rodrigues from Dark Sky Association, Ms Ana Castañeda from SODEPAL (Sociedad de promoción y desarrollo económico de la isla de La Palma) and Mr Don Hawkins,first Vice-Chair of the UNWTO Board of Affiliate Members and Professor Emeritus of Management, Tourism Studies and International Affairs of the George Washington (GW) University.

Among the topics discussed was the upcoming 1st International Conference on Astrotourism by Starlight, to be held in Évora (Portugal) from 3 to 5 June 2021. The event will be a breakthrough in the development of this new niche tourism product, which has also been incorporated into our Programe of Work 2021.

Redacted by Juan Carlos Baena Franco, Project Specialist de la UNWTO