Title of Paper

Understanding the effect of astrotourism participation on visitors post-trip behavior

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Zachary Russell is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. His research focuses on the role that social media plays in creating identity and sense of place through tourism.

Joelle Soulard is an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Her research focuses on the roles of travel experiences in fostering transformation, inclusivity, well-being, social change, and activism from the perspectives of travelers and destination residents.

Abstract (150 Words)

Light pollution has negative impacts on human and animal health while being completely preventable. When interviewing managers at International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) designated dark sky parks, it became apparent that involvement in the daily operations of the park sparked an increased awareness to the value of dark nighttime skies. This study seeks to apply the transtheoretical model of behavior change to participation in astrotourism activities. This would allow us to understand whether limited participation in astrotourism (such as a singular trip) can significantly increase awareness about light pollution enough to lead to a change in personal outdoor lighting. To do this, we plan to use an experimental design with a pre- and post-test methodology. We expect that results would indicate a behavioral change that manifests in the changing of outdoor lighting fixtures and general support for limiting light pollution in their communities.

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Understanding the effect of astrotourism participation on visitors post-trip behavior

Light pollution has negative impacts on human and animal health while being completely preventable. When interviewing managers at International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) designated dark sky parks, it became apparent that involvement in the daily operations of the park sparked an increased awareness to the value of dark nighttime skies. This study seeks to apply the transtheoretical model of behavior change to participation in astrotourism activities. This would allow us to understand whether limited participation in astrotourism (such as a singular trip) can significantly increase awareness about light pollution enough to lead to a change in personal outdoor lighting. To do this, we plan to use an experimental design with a pre- and post-test methodology. We expect that results would indicate a behavioral change that manifests in the changing of outdoor lighting fixtures and general support for limiting light pollution in their communities.