NPA GLOW2.0 international webinar attracts over 100 participants

NPA GLOW2.0 international webinar "Embracing Dark Skies in Northern Periphery and Arctic Region" took place on 30.4.2024. The webinar attracted over 100 participants 🌌.

The webinar was opened by Dr Tarja Kupiainen who welcomed participants, presented Interreg NPA project in brief, thereafter giving the floor to webinar coordinator Niamh Considine. Our speakers:

🎙️ Dr. Tony Johnston highlighted an intriguing point, noting that Irish people are beginning to recognise the potential of our dark skies for tourism. Surprisingly, not many realise it's entirely possible to see the Northern Lights in Ireland!

🎙️ Duncan Wise took us on a journey into the economic tourism sector that didn’t exist 20 years ago in Northumberland. He shared how they became a designated Dark Sky Park and what they have done since to develop tourism activity around dark skies, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of conserving dark skies.

🎙️ Louise Pearson shared exciting news about the Wester Ross Festival, which has been running for the last couple of years. This festival celebrates the region's unique dark sky heritage and offers a range of activities such as stargazing events, guided walks, mindfulness workshops, astronomy talks, and night photography workshops. It has become a significant draw for both locals and tourists, showcasing the beauty and importance of preserving Wester Ross's dark skies.

Outi Santaniemi presented the GLOW2.0 animation video with a concluding message of why it is important to protect our Dark Skies and the steps we could take as individuals and regions of the NPA 🌌.

The presentations from the event are available under GLOW2.0 Project Outputs & Results, and the GLOW2.0 animation video at: GLOW2.0 - Light pollution.

Team GLOW2.0 would like to thank all participants who joined us during our international webinar. Huge gratitude also goes to our speakers of the day for great insights on Dark Sky business models for tourism. 

Let's continue to explore the value of dark sky tourism and its economic impact, while promoting responsible lighting practices and collaboration among regions. Together, we can unlock the full potential of this unique tourism opportunity 🔎.