Astro-Tourism is the driving force behind the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve and will aid the socio-economic development in the villages within the reserve. Astro-tourism is a fast-growing industry globally and is being promoted by many international organizations like the International Astronomical Union's Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU OAD) etc.
Astro-tourism relies on the darkness of the night sky as the main tourist attraction and invites visitors to enjoy the night sky in all its glory, both with their naked eyes and through telescopes. Since most urban people have rarely seen dark night skies with innumerable stars and the majestic Milky Way, an opportunity to do so is attractive. When the astro-tourism guides are from the local communities inside the dark sky reserves which are usually less developed areas, then the tourism revenue leads to a boost in the economy as well. This is the model that is also followed at HDSR.
24 Astro-Ambassadors have been selected from the villages inside HDSR and have been trained by IIA extensively. Financed by UT Ladakh, we had procured 8-inch telescopes for all of them and have handed it over. Their training involved knowing about the sky, how to use online apps, and how to operate the telescope and show people planets and other interesting objects through it.
These ambassadors are the astro-tourism guides who will organise and conduct night sky watching sessions with their telescopes for the visitors to HDSR, for a charge. Their network and contact details are being made available to the tourists, with whom they can interact directly.
The villages around Hanle had already been operating a few home-stays for tourists. However, with the influx of astro-tourists, the demand for home-stays in increasing, and many villagers are now building new ones. This will provide economic development to service industry in these villages. The home-stay owners will coordinate with the Ambassadors to help organise night sky watching for their guests.
Hanle has been a popular destination for sky watch and astro-photography for amateur astronomers across India for many years. With the development of HDSR, we plan to organise special star-parties and amateur-astronomy festivals periodically to encourage use of the region by serious enthusiasts.
The IAO attracts thousands of visitors every month. Currently, they are given a tour by a staff member when feasible. As a part of HDSR, we are planning to streamline this process whereby scheduled tours will be organised, where visitors are taken to all the telescopes and can interact with a scientist or an engineer.
Hanle Dark Sky Reserve and IAO are inside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the Kiang, the black necked crane and many other flora and fauna, and extends over 4000 sq metres. There are a number of wildlife tours that have been organised, and we would like to combine the experience of wildlife and the experience of the night sky as the ideal way to appreciate the beauty of the region.
Along with the UT Ladakh, we are planning to build a Visitors Centre, a Mini Planetarium, and Astro-Domes. These will add substantially to the user experience, as well as provide them an opportunity to learn more about astronomy and astrophysics.