After winning two World Travel Awards at the beginning of the month at the European gala, Dark Sky® Alqueva has just been distinguished worldwide as World’s Leading Tourism Project 2020, a recognition awarded especially for its innovative character in creating this astrotourism destination and for its integrated sustainable development model.
It is a great honor to receive yet another distinction at the acclaimed World Travel Awards, considered the “Oscars of Tourism,” and a great responsibility that gives us the strength to continue investing in a project that was born in 2007 and had to overcome many obstacles. At a time when more sustainable destinations are gaining ground, it is essential to invest in Portugal’s positioning as a leading international destination for Astrotourism, as it currently has approximately 13,000.00 km2 certified as a Starlight Tourism Destination. The Dark Sky® Portugal Network thus includes Dark Sky® Alqueva, the world’s first Starlight Tourism Destination and the first cross-border one, as well as Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto and Dark Sky® Vale do Tua.
It is worth noting that last year, Dark Sky® Alqueva became part of the destinations awarded by the World Travel Awards with the Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award 2019, and at the beginning of this month, it secured two more awards: the Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award 2020 and the Europe’s Leading Tourism Project 2020.
More about Dark Sky® Alqueva:
Dark Sky® Alqueva is the first Portuguese astrotourism destination, with its creation dating back to 2007. Based on the acquired knowledge that allowed us to believe and invest in astrotourism as an important future trend in tourism demand, we moved forward in 2007 with the development of a sustainable destination where the night sky resource was the pillar of the work. Coupled with sustainable tourism development, our mission also lies in protecting the night sky and, with that, working towards achieving values close to zero regarding light pollution.
In 2011, Dark Sky® Alqueva became the world’s first Starlight Tourism Destination and, in 2018, the first cross-border one. It integrates 10 Portuguese municipalities—Alandroal, Barrancos, Évora, Mértola, Moura, Mourão, Portel, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, and Serpa—and 13 Spanish municipalities, spread across 9,700.00 km2 around Lake Alqueva.
The Dark Sky® Route offers various astronomical observation activities, either with the naked eye or with telescopes, which can be carried out at the Dark Sky® Official Observatory in Cumeada, or in any area of the certified territory, always led by a Dark Sky® Guide. In addition to these activities, other complementary ones have been developed that can be enjoyed at night as well as during the day, such as hiking tours combining heritage and nature, canoeing, Solar System yoga, horseback riding, photography tours and workshops, wine tours and standard or blind wine tastings, team building, orienteering, bird watching, and wildlife watching, among others available upon request. Among the activities that can be carried out at night, we highlight the workshops for
private or group astrophotography, led by international astrophotographer Miguel Claro. Among the daytime experiences, we highlight boat trips on the Alqueva, fishing, the Sunset Dark Sky® with solar observation through a solar telescope accompanied by a Gin Sharish aperitif or a non-alcoholic cocktail, and also hot air ballooning at sunrise or sunset. These are some of the most sought-after activities, but our team and our partners are always available for new creations and the development of tailor-made programs. To learn about our activities and partners, visit our website www.darkskyalqueva.com. You will only find official partners there.
Since the end of last year, Dark Sky® Alqueva has been introducing improvements, diversifying its range of activities, and expanding its network of local partners, which will soon be visible on the website.
Dark Sky® Portugal:
The Dark Sky® concept has also grown nationally as a result of regional partnerships, leading to the birth of Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto in partnership with ADXTUR, which includes 14 municipalities from the Aldeias do Xisto universe, and Dark Sky® Vale do Tua in partnership with ADRVT, which includes 5 municipalities around the Vale do Tua Regional Natural Park. These two destinations and Dark Sky® Alqueva thus form the Dark Sky® PORTUGAL Network.
Official links:
https://www.worldtravelawards.com/profile-37357-dark-sky-alqueva
