IASTRO: Índice de Potencial Astro Turístico dos Parques Nacionais

This article presents the National Parks Astrotourism Potential Index (IASTRO), an innovative tool to evaluate and compare the potential for astro tourism in the 75 Brazilian national parks. IASTRO combines three crucial parameters: night sky quality, open sky probability, and tourism infrastructure, which encompasses the presence of guides and the availability of different experiences of overnight stays. The detailed methodology for data collection and IASTRO calculation is described, including the weighting of parameters, with night sky quality receiving greater weight for its fundamental importance for celestial observation. The results reveal a diverse distribution of IASTRO among the parks, highlighting those located in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, which present more favorable night sky and climatological conditions. The in-depth discussion explores the relationship between IASTRO and other factors, such as the number of visitors and the characteristics of the biomes, revealing an untapped potential for astro tourism in many national parks. The study also highlights the importance of tourism infrastructure and simulates how improvements in this aspect can boost astro tourism potential in various parks. The final considerations emphasize IASTRO as a valuable tool for protected area management and for the formulation of public policies, promoting the preservation of the starry sky and the development of astro tourism in a sustainable way. The article concludes that Brazil has enormous potential to become a world-class astro tourism destination, with its national parks offering exceptional conditions for celestial observation and connection with nature. This pioneering study contributes to the field of ecotourism by providing a comprehensive and innovative index to assess the astro tourism potential in national parks. IASTRO can be used by park managers, researchers, tourists, astronomy enthusiasts and policy makers to identify and prioritize parks with greater potential for this activity, assisting in the planning of actions and investments that promote the development of astro tourism in Brazil. In summary, the article presents an innovative index to assess the astro tourism potential in Brazilian national parks, highlighting the importance of night sky quality, open sky probability, and tourism infrastructure. The study reveals an untapped potential for astro tourism in many parks and highlights the importance of investments in tourism infrastructure to boost this activity. IASTRO is presented as a valuable tool for protected area management and for the formulation of public policies, aiming at the sustainable development of astro tourism in Brazil.