A Better Customer Experience In The Future? You Can Bet On It (July 13, 2018)

See a trend? Customers are reaching for the stars — literally — to get away from the awful service they’re receiving on the ground. They’re ready for a better customer experience, even if it’s untested.

Like spaceflight.

“Space tourism is going to happen,” says Valerie Stimac, editor of the Space Tourism Guide. “It’s only a matter of time.”

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Space Tourism Could Be the Ultimate Adventure Trip for Travel Advisors (June 25, 2019)

“Space tourism is a good niche for travel advisors, with suborbital flights just one aspect. It also involves things like traveling to see rocket launches, eclipses, or stay in a habitat that simulates life on the moon,” Stimac said. “In many cases there is red tape involved or the destinations have limited infrastructure. People need assistance from a travel advisor.”

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Lonely Planet Publishes Guide to Astrotourism (September 14, 2019)

Authored by Oakland-based space tourism expert Valerie Stimac, “Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism” explains how to see the next decade of total solar eclipses, the aurora and rocket launches, lists dark-sky sites and national parks and gives the lowdown on commercial space flight, observatories and meteor showers.

Stimac spoke with Forbes about astrotourism and why there’s more to this travel sector than merely looking up at the sky.

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Where You Can See The Best Stars In ‘Dark Skies’ Around The World (September 20, 2019)

The recently released book “Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism” lists sites around the world where people can see the stars without light pollution.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with author Valerie Stimac

Listen to the full interview →

14 NASA Sites Every Space Nerd Must Visit (September 25, 2019)

Valerie Stimac, dark sky expert and author of the new Lonely Planet book Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism, recommends splurging on the VIP tour of the Johnson Space Center, noting that, “the basic tram tour is fun, but the VIP tour takes you much deeper into the workings at Johnson—it’s ideal for those who already know some of NASA’s current projects and want to learn even more.”

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