Baleària has presented within the framework of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) the seal that officially endorses it as the first means of transport in the Mediterranean with Starlight certification after its adherence to the 'Declaration on the Defense of the Night Sky and the Right to Light of the Stars' promoted by the Starlight Foundation. In this sense, the shipping company has announced that it will offer astrotourism experiences and leisure activities related to astronomy on board its ships starting in the summer.
“We want customers to start enjoying their trip before reaching their destination, which is why we offer a menu of services that turns the journey into an experience in itself. The sky and the stars are witnesses of our night routes, and with this seal we are not only committed to promoting its importance with astrotourism workshops, but we also offer added value to our clients", highlighted Georges Bassoul, general manager of Baleària.
For her part, Antonia Varela, director of the Starlight Foundation, and also present at the event, stressed that "Starlight accreditation also implies a commitment to implement as many measures as necessary to mitigate light pollution on the company's ships, betting on intelligent lighting and innovation, responsible for the preservation of biodiversity on the routes on which it operates”.
Baleària has taken advantage of its annual participation in one of the world's leading tourism fairs to share a certificate with which it undertakes to defend and promote the night sky as a heritage for all, as well as to develop initiatives to protect it and value it as a scientific, cultural, environmental and tourist asset of the first magnitude. To do this, the shipping company will convert the deck of several of its night routes between the Peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands into a mobile astrotourism center where it will give sky and star observation workshops to passengers interested in this activity designed for all ages.
The Starlight Foundation will train the crew and services personnel on board Baleària with basic notions of observation so that they can act as monitors on those routes that cross suitable areas for the practice of this initiative. The mission is to raise awareness about the scientific and cultural value of having pollution-free skies among lovers of astronomical tourism, as well as to spread the love of contemplating the starry sky.
The shipping company will promote this type of sustainable and responsible tourism in its different delegations located in destinations with this exclusive label, such as Ibiza, Menorca, Huelva and the Canary Islands, while positioning the Mediterranean Sea itself as a Starlight destination in itself.
For when Balearia Metaverso? That is the least polluting.