CEE, 04/10/2024. During the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th of October, the Costa da Morte became the capital of astro-tourism with the celebration of the VII International Starlight Meeting and II International Starlight Astrotourism Conference, organised by the Starlight Foundation with the collaboration of CMAT.
On Tuesday afternoon, the participants in this important congress were welcomed at the Náutico de Razo, in Carballo, where there was an opportunity to share the projects and experiences of the different professionals.
II International Starlight Conference: the values of astro-tourism and local development
During the first day of conferences in Cee, the president of the Costa da Morte Tourism Association (CMAT), Manuel Muíño, had the opportunity to participate in the opening ceremony together with Xosé Merelles, director of Tourism of Galicia; Xosé Regueira, vice-president of the A Coruña Provincial Council; Margot Lamela, mayoress of Cee and Antonia Varela, president of the Starlight Foundation.
Muíño also gave a lecture during the morning on the challenges and achievements of the Costa da Morte as a starlight destination. During his intervention, Muíño highlighted the work of CMAT in the promotion of astrotourism in the Costa da Morte: “We are trying to combine astrotourism with the development of the territory. We want to promote a quality unseasonal tourism that is respectful with the environment. In this sense, astro-tourism is a great opportunity. In 2023 and 2024, we are carrying out many activities in this direction”. In this sense, the celebration of the VII International Astroturism Meeting in the Costa da Morte is a new milestone on this path.
On the first morning of conferences, Antonia Varela, president of the Starlight Foundation, also took part in a talk on the keys to leadership in astro-tourism, in which she spoke about the present and future challenges in areas such as innovation, sustainabiliy and education.
The afternoon of the first day was dedicated to conferences on the relationship between astrotourism and local sustainable development, with presentations by different astrotourism professionals from places such as La Palma, Ávila, Colombia and Chile. After the conferences, an excursion was organised to the Touriñán Lighthouse, in Muxía, so that the participants could get to know the place where the last sunset of continental Europe takes place.
Conference on communication specialising in astro-tourism
The conferences on Thursday 3rd were focused on communication in astrotourism, where Sara Rodríguez, from Turismo de Estrellas, gave a lecture on personal branding and the Starlight Seal distinction. There was also an opportunity for presentations on the gender perspective in tourism, sustainability and climate change and the digital marketing of astrotourism.
The afternoon session, which began by focusing on the importance of protecting the night sky, included a presentation by Susana Malón, from Lumínica Ambiental, in which she highlighted some of the good practices that are being developed in the municipalities of the Costa da Morte to improve the problems of light pollution. The day concluded with the closing dinner of the conferences at the Torre de Laxe and with the presentation of the 5th International Starlight Awards, where the Casa a Pedreira accommodation, in Cuntis (Pontevedra), won the award for Best Starlight Accommodation.
V Meeting of Starlight Guides and Monitors
The morning of Friday 4th October was dedicated to the V Starlight Guides and Monitors Meeting, an event focused on the opportunities and challenges that this qualification offers. The different keys to deseasonalise tourism through astro-tourism were also discussed.
On this day, the Starlight Monitors of the Costa da Morte Antonio Pazos and Begoña Estévez participated with a brief presentation on the stellar mythology in different cultures.
CMAT also participated in a round table on the challenges of astro-tourism, where impressions with other professionals such as Bea Páez, Director of La Palma Tourism; Mónica Solé, councillor of tourism of Andorra or Antonia Varela, president of the Starlight Foundation were shared.
The finale of this important congress was a public talk on the Costa da Morte as the coast of the setting sun led by Jorge Mira, professor of applied physics at the USC and ambassador of the Costa da Morte.
Afterwards, and to conclude the day, the participants had the opportunity to visit Fisterra, where an observation of the night sky took place.
The Costa da Morte, international epicentre of astro-tourism
This meeting organised by the Starlight Foundation placed the world focus of astrotourism on the Costa da Morte for four days. Astrotourism, as many professionals highlighted during the conference, is a sustainable, viable, natural and innovative way to deseasonalise tourism. And the Costa da Morte, with CMAT as the entity that manages tourism in the geodestination, has been working towards this goal for years.
With the collaboration of institutions such as the Deputación de A Coruña and Turismo de Galicia, CMAT is carrying out various actions to develop astrotourism in the Costa da Morte, which, from 2023, has the distinction of Starlight Tourist Destination (Starlight Seal).
