Correos continues this 2025 with the philatelic series dedicated to TOURISM with two stamps dedicated to Sustainable Tourism with two good examples of sustainability and with Starlight tourist destination certification: Punta Nariga (A Coruña) in 2023 and Monfragüe National Park (Cáceres) in 2016.
The Starlight certifications (Starlight Reserves, Starlight Tourist Destinations, Starlight Parks, Starlight Hotels...) are awarded to places that incorporate the observation of the firmament as part of their natural heritage, ensuring the quality of the tourist experience and the quality of the natural heritage.
More information on the website of the Starlight Foundation: https://fundacionstarlight.org/ created by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
The Starlight Foundation was created in 2009, following the ‘I International Starlight Conference’. Since then, it has been an entity with its own legal personality, whose general objective is the dissemination of astronomy and the coordination, management and promotion of the principles and philosophy of the Starlight movement, developing in practice all its possible dimensions to extend them around the world through activities, products and services in these matters. It is a non-profit organisation, whose main purpose is to develop programmes and actions aimed at offering a different way of caring for and defending the sky and valuing it as a necessary resource for life and as the intangible heritage of humanity. The objectives of the Foundation are:
1.- Protection of the night sky: One of the priority objectives of the Foundation - and contained in the ‘Declaration of La Palma’ - is the protection and conservation of the night skies, considered an important scientific, cultural, environmental and tourist resource.
To this end, it is important to spread the culture of intelligent lighting among the population and to promote local, national and international initiatives to avoid light pollution, save energy and mitigate the effects of climate change.
2- Cultural dissemination of astronomy: The Starlight Foundation also aims to disseminate astronomy in a different way, linking it to society through activities related to Starlight Tourism, the promotion of a network of rural Starlight Houses and Hotels, the promotion of Estelarios where festivals and activities of an astronomical nature can be organised, astrophotography competitions, etc. The aim is to disseminate this science, but in an entertaining way, introducing it in recreational tasks that can be developed, for example, in areas that have achieved or are in the process of achieving certification as Starlight Tourist Destinations.
In order to achieve this goal, it is also important to provide specialised training courses for those people (Starlight Guides and Astronomy Monitors) who will serve as a link with the population.
The Starlight Foundation also organises seminars, conferences and specific courses for the dissemination of astronomy, and collaborates with national and international organisations to bring knowledge of the Universe closer to society in general.
3- Starlight tourism: Another objective is the promotion of scientific tourism and, more specifically, star tourism, as an emerging, sustainable and quality segment. To this end, the Foundation has a Certification System that accredits as Starlight Tourist Destinations those places whose sky quality and infrastructures allow this type of activity to be carried out.
The Foundation also qualifies as Starlight Reserves those places that maintain intact the conditions of natural illumination and clarity of the night sky, incorporating the starscape into the cultural assets of their nature.
4- Starlight certification is supported by the UNWTO and the IAU. Intelligent lighting and energy saving: The Foundation also strives to implement a culture of rational use of lighting, which allows energy saving, the development of star tourism in various parts of the planet and the protection of the many species that need a dark sky for their conservation.
