Thousands of people are expected to look skywards for today’s solar eclipse, but Portugal’s fascination with the night sky is increasingly becoming a year-round tourism business. Alqueva leads the wayPortugal’s most established success story is Dark Sky Alqueva. Dark Sky Alqueva president Apolónia Rodrigues told ECO that “astrotourism has clearly ceased to be a residual niche”. Eclipse provides another boostToday’s eclipse is expected to provide another major showcase for the sector. The Perseid meteor shower is also reaching its peak around the night of August 12 to 13, potentially encouraging eclipse visitors to extend their stays.