As evidenced by the recent success experienced by campgrounds who hosted guests for the 2024 total solar eclipse, astrotourism and celestial events are well-suited to campground business models. To help campgrounds develop astrotourism programs, Campspot ran a year-long campaign starting in April 2023, equipping owners and operators with the resources they needed to plan events and drive reservations.

Learning From the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

Campspot’s eclipse resources included a series of webinars, a guide on how to leverage the eclipse and other celestial events to attract campers, and a printable kids activity kit. The effort paid off, with reservations skyrocketing—among campgrounds on Campspot, there was an 81% increase in reservations that included April 8th year over year. Campspot campgrounds also saw a 347% increase in reservations that fell over the same Monday year over year.

Read Next: Astrotourism, Dark Skies, and Campground Revenue Strategy

Upcoming 2024 Celestial Events

While the April total solar eclipse was a once or twice-in-a-lifetime event for many, celestial success doesn’t need to stop there for your campground. The following events will take place between May and December 2024. Select a few for your campground to design programs around, or you can even take steps to weave astrotourism into your daily offerings. A few ideas include:

  • Full moon hikes
  • New moon stargazing tours featuring a local astronomy club
  • Renting and selling nighttime observation products
  • Investing in dark sky certification or best practices

Read Next: How to Leverage Astrotourism as Part of Your Campground’s Revenue Strategy

  • May 23 – Full Flower Moon
  • June 6 – New Moon
  • June 20 – Summer Solstice
  • June 21 – Full Strawberry Moon
  • July 5 – New Moon
  • July 15 – Mars and Uranus Viewing
  • July 21 – Full Buck Moon
  • August 4 – New Moon
  • August 12 & 13 – Perseid Meteor Shower
  • August 19 – Full Blue Sturgeon Moon
  • September 2 – New Moon
  • September 8 – Saturn Viewing
  • September 17 & 18 – Partial Lunar Eclipse
  • September 17 – September Harvest Moon
  • September 20 – Neptune Viewing
  • September 22 – Fall Equinox
  • October 2 – New Moon
  • October 8 – Draconid Meteor Shower
  • October 17 – Super Hunter’s Moon
  • November 1 – New Moon
  • November 15 – Super Beaver Moon
  • December 1 – New Moon
  • December 6 – Jupiter Viewing
  • December 14 & 15 – Geminid Meteor Shower
  • December 15 – Full Cold Moon
  • December 21 – Winter Solstice
  • December 30 – New Moon

Astrotourism, Dark Skies, and Campground Revenue Strategy

Download our free guide below for:

  • How to turn celestial events into big celebrations
  • A sample celestial event planning timeline
  • Recommended event gear to sell in your camp store
  • Dark sky camping resources
  • And more!

Image credit: Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort: Golden Valley

Ellie Burke is a senior marketing manager at Campspot. When she’s not writing fantasy by night, or growing Christmas trees by weekend, she enjoys connecting with Campspot’s campground customers and hunting for her next glamping destination.