Vicuña 2023 World Astrotourism Summit will be held between 6 and 9 September

09-08-23

The event is organised by the Municipal Tourism Corporation of Vicuña, and has the support of institutions such as the Municipality of Vicuña, Corfo, Undersecretary of Tourism and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage. Pre-registration is now open through the website cumbremundialdeastroturismo.com. 

Since 2015, the commune of Vicuña has been working consistently to position itself as the "World Capital of Astronomy". Actions such as the "Month of the Stars", which is celebrated in October, high-visibility talks with Professor José Maza, and the creation of a municipal ordinance on dark skies, are now added to the World Astrotourism Summit. 

The event, which will take place between 6 and 9 September with the presence of more than 40 national and international exhibitors, was officially launched on Monday at the Costa Real Hotel in La Serena. Present at the event were the Presidential Delegate Rubén Quezada, the Mayor of Vicuña Rafael Vera Castillo, the Regional Director of Corfo Andrés Zurita, the Regional Director of Sernatur Angélica Funes, and local tourism entrepreneurs. 

"There will be exhibitors from 6 countries, 19 foreigners and 26 Chileans, who for 4 days will be sharing relevant information to demonstrate that the region of Coquimbo is the star region (...) We understand that it is the most important astro-tourism meeting that has been done to date" said the Mayor of the commune of Vicuña, Rafael Vera Castillo.  

The World Astrotourism Summit will also include other activities such as the Astrofest in Mamalluca, the National Astrotourism Fair, and the special programme for children, Children of the Stars. "We are very anxious that, during the first days of September, we can launch the fruit of a long time's work," said the Presidential Delegate Rubén Quezada. 

The activity, organised by the Municipal Tourism Corporation of Vicuña, is being carried out thanks to Corfo's Viraliza Eventos de Alta Convocatoria Internacional programme with a focus on Regional Ecosystems. It also has funding from the Undersecretary of Tourism, the Municipality of Vicuña, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, and the Corporation itself. 

"It is an opportunity and a challenge to be able to make a sustainable productive development around tourism activities that represent new experiences for visitors who come to our region," said the Regional Director of Corfo, Andrés Zurita Silva. 

"This will not only be a festival of knowledge, but it will also generate a local micro-economy for the different actors. We have more than 60 companies working in the astro-tourism sector, which represents around 47% of the national total, and we are aware of the capabilities of our sky," explained Angélica Funes, National Director of Sernatur. 

The event is sponsored by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), will have its epicentre in the Municipal Theatre of Vicuña, and will also be broadcast around the world through the website cumbremundialdeastroturismo.com. 

Pre-registration is currently open for those interested through the same website.