• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

Utah’s latest tourism effort sheds light on the fact that one of its best attractions can only be seen in the dark.

The beehive state boasts the highest concentration of certified International Dark Sky Places in the world, where there are  “exceptional starry nights and nocturnal environments protected by strict light pollution policies,” according to the DarkSky International organization.

One week per year following a full moon is designated International Dark Sky Week, which took place in 2026 from April 13-20. Utah took this year’s celebration further, naming the entire month of April “Dark Sky Month.”

To promote the month, the Utah Office of Tourism converted its VisitUtah.com website into an actual “Dark Skies” experience.

As developed with digital agency Hanson Dodge, the tourism authority’s website, seen here,  transitions from day to night, going from light to dark while simultaneously playing nocturnal sounds made by crickets, katydids, coyotes, great horned owls, great basin spadefoot toads and birds. On the site’s “Dark Skies” page, the entire background is responsive to the Utah sky, so when the actual sun sets in Utah, the page background also gets gradually darker and darker, until the page background goes totally dark at sunset.

“Astrotourism aligns with our vision and strategy to build a long-lasting, dynamic visitor economy,” Ben Cook, director of marketing & communications, Utah Office of Tourism, told Marketing Daily. “Utah State Parks, national parks, and local communities continue to show tremendous leadership in prioritizing night sky preservation and offering unique year-round programs for both residents and visitors. We wanted to replicate the immersive experience of Dark Skies through an innovative web approach, as we know digital is the main tool people use when searching and selecting their future tourism destinations.”

A short film, “Stargazing in Utah,” seen here, features Canyonlands National Park, Antelope Island State Park and the Uinta Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

The Dark Skies effort was promoted through a targeted email campaign in addition to social posts on Visit Utah’s Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.