DARK SKY TOURISM: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

Due to the various negative impacts of tourist expansion, destinations frequently seek out new frontiers for expanding tourism demand while also ensuring its long-term sustainability. As a result, the ‘night sky' has been identified as a natural resource that provides a unique experience for promoting dark sky tourism (DST). The goal of the study is to provide a thorough understanding of the DST idea, as well as the possibilities and challenges for its development in North Macedonia. The analysis indicated many ‘dark spots' in rural areas as prospective venues for launching DST development based on the light pollution map and a quick evaluation. According to the findings, certain rural locations may be able to offer unpolluted night sky for the viewing of naturally occurring celestial phenomena. The paper suggests that DST may stimulate tourism diversity, enhance local economies, and prevent rural regions from being neglected. As a result, DST may be considered as a long-term option for promoting rural vitality through sustainable tourist development. Future study is needed to investigate the sustainability mode in greater depth to find options for gaining dark sky designation from the International Dark-Sky Association, such as dark sky communities, parks, reserves, and sanctuaries, urban night sky places, and dark sky friendly developments of distinction.

Keywords: Nature-based tourism, Night sky, Astrotourism, Sustainability.