KOTA KINABALU: Astrotourism and astrophotography are set to be the next big thing in the tourism industry.
Tourism and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) Sabah Office Director, Ag Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said astrotourism in Malaysia was inspired by the concept of the Million Stars Hotel, where tourists could spend a night under a blanket of stars.
“With a minimum cost, it is not impossible for this tourism sector to increase tourist arrivals in Sabah,” he said during the recent Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing Party programme at the Tip of Borneo in Kudat, adding that proper planning will further aid Sabah in becoming one of the best locations in the world for stargazing.
The program is a collaboration between MOTAC and the Sabah Stargazers club and is part of the efforts to promote ‘voluntourism’, which was introduced by the ministry last June.
President of the Sabah Stargazers, Dr Esmar Abdul Hamid, said the event drew some 500 club members, students and members of the public.
“During these sessions, visitors can see up to 50 streaks of meteors and fireballs in the sky,” he said.
The program also included a briefing on the Perseid phenomenon by the National Planeterium’s Science Officer Mohd Zamri Shah Mansor.
The Perseid phenomenon happens annually when Earth passes through debris left behind by Comet Tuttle-Swift during its orbit around the sun every 133 years, creating a stunning show of meteor showers.