Chile looks to promote astro-tourism with ‘Route to the Stars’

World Today

To boost its tourism, Chile is literally looking up to its skies. Named as the country with the most potential in the tourism sector by the Chinese magazine Travel, Chile boasts perfect conditions for the growing sector of astro-tourism.

CCTV America’s Joel Richards filed this report from Elqui Valley, Chile.

 

Highlights:

  • The north of Chile is known as the Route of the Stars. A new push from the public and private sector is aiming to market the South American country as a world leader in the astro-tourism sector.
  • Tours costing around $20 a person roll out of the city of La Serena every night, climbing high into the foothills of the Andes in the Elqui Valley, above the cloud line.
  • Chile has an advantage over other countries because of its strategic location. According to the government, Chile currently has half of the worldwide astronomy infrastructure of telescopes installed, a figure that will rise to 70 percent in the coming years.