In Search of Dark Skies: How Light Pollution Is Spurring a New Tourism Industry
Jeff Hall sees more and more of them every year, and even though they're great for business, there's something inescapably sad about their growing numbers.
"I had a couple of visitors staring up at the sky and asking what it was — they were adults, and they'd never seen it before," Hall told The Points Guy. "And I had to explain that it was the Milky Way, and what it was: 'That's our galaxy.' They were like, 'Oh my goodness! We can actually see it!'"
Hall is the director of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and just one of many to witness how the light pollution that seems to be encroaching everywhere has fed a growing genre of tourism. There are now travelers going to great lengths to see our increasingly rare, genuinely dark night skies. The observatory now sees 100,000 visitors a year.
An astonishing eight in 10 Americans live somewhere where they can't make out the Milky Way at night no matter the conditions, and there's no sign that figure will decrease. Overdevelopment and the rise of the standard LED (which illuminates at a bluish frequency that's especially effective at blotting out the stars when the sun goes down) are largely to blame. The older, yellowish sodium bulbs cause much less light pollution, and though there are amber-colored LEDs available, it's the standard white LEDs that have become ubiquitous.
"People are beginning to really understand that the starry night skies are a resource and an experience worth seeking out, and we've noticed a big increase in people seeking out these dark places," said Amanda Gormley, spokesperson for the International Dark-Sky Association, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving notable places around the world that are still free from light pollution.
In Sedona, Arizona, Cliff Ochser is the founder and president of Sedona Stargazing, a tourism company that caters to people coming to the northern part of the state for its legendarily great views of the nighttime lights of the Northern Hemisphere. He and his clients, who come from around the world, travel a little ways out of town, set down folding chairs and watch as humankind's oldest motion picture unfolds above them.
"What inspired me to start this company," Ochser explained, "is the fact that people around the world have lost their relationship with the night sky because of light pollution...They have to travel to a place where they can see. I wanted to try to reconnect people to the night sky."
In Oklahoma City, Angie Hendricks, president and CEO of Bentley Hedges Travel, placed dark-sky tourism in the rapidly growing adventure-tourism sector of travel, a twist on travel for those already drawn to hard-to-reach places. That light pollution is so pervasive makes dark-sky travel a natural match for people who want to get away from civilization. The places where they go, she said, are "really remote."
The IDA maintains a list of sites around the world that it certifies as having dutifully maintained dark skies, with locations as far-flung as New Zealand's Great Barrier Island and the Elqui Valley of northern Chile, and as close at hand as western New Mexico and north central Pennsylvania. But many of the sites are threatened by potential development and nearby urban growth, making the need to see the remaining dark skies even more pressing for astrotourism aficionados. Already, Hall noted, it's almost impossible to find a truly dark night sky anywhere in the US east of the Mississippi and north of the latitude of Dallas.
"I think there will always be remote places where you can see the night sky, but whether they're accessible to the general public is another question," Ochser said. "To have to travel to the see the sky is a real issue. The encroaching light pollution is not something to be ignored."
Featured photo by Robert Loe/Getty Images
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees