Astro Tourism - A Possible Path to Sustainable Development through Narratives and Stories

Abstract: This thesis focuses on the use of narratives and how they connect Astro tourism to sustainability. This research is done from the viewpoint of the narrators and uncovers what narratives they have chosen to present to the visitors, their reasons to include those narratives, what messages they want to convey and how that relates to sustainability. This research was conducted in order to explore how narratives can be used together with Astro tourism to sustainably develop peripheral regions. This thesis uses a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews and inquests. The informants are people who conduct narrated Astro tourism tours in different parts of the world. The findings of this thesis are that in Astro tourism narratives can be used to educate, inspire, shape perceptions, raise awareness and develop environmental consciousness in people. The narratives can take part in the place, value and identity creation processes, can provide a sustainable competitive advantage, can link together the visual aspects and reconnect the visitors to nature and the past. These findings can be used in the broader field of science about narratives and storytelling in the experience-based industry. On a more practical side it is recommended to include narratives that communicate ideas about sustainability that the narrators personally feel passionate about, and they should consider what kind of message they want to convey through them and how that will affect the customer’s experience.