AN EXCITING new ‘astro tourism’ initiative has been announced for accommodation providers in Snowdonia.

Snowdonia National Park was recently awarded a Dark Sky status, which is an international recognition for areas that are noted for their quality of starry nights.

Only eleven other locations globally have received this honour from the International Dark-Skies Association in America.

As a result, a group charged with growing the county’s economy, Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig, want to discover if the Dark Sky status can attract additional tourists to the area, especially outside the peak seasons.

Astro-tourism has grown as a sector over recent years, driven in part by more exposure on television such as, Stargazing Live on the BBC.

During the pilot, Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig will run a series of Astro-tourism workshops for the businesses, and purchase equipment and materials such as binoculars and stargazing charts to be used by the tourism businesses.

Interested applicants are urged to visit www.arloesigwyneddwledig.com for more information or contact Rachel Roberts on 01766 514057 for an application form.