(CNN) Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse will last 62 seconds. But for a small town in rural north-west Australia, the impact could last a lifetime.
That’s the hope for Exmouth and the surrounding Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, who are hoping the once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon of April 20 could spark a tourism boom that will last well beyond the eclipse.
“They’re quite intimidated but also very excited,” Western Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Roger Cook told CNN of Exmouth residents.
The town – whose name is pronounced “ex-mowth” – has a population of 3,000 but is set to swell to 20,000 this week, based on accommodation bookings and information from the local tourism board.
Exmouth will have possibly the world’s best view of the April 20 solar event.
There will be a partial view of the eclipse beginning at 10:04 a.m. local time, then totality – in which the sun appears completely obscured by the sky – will occur at 11:29 a.m. The partial view then ends at 1:00 a.m. 2 p.m
In the moment of totality, the Sun, Earth and Moon align for awesome effect.
According to Cook, the Ningaloo region has been working on its eclipse-related tourism offerings for more than a year.
There are a range of events to keep new friends occupied, including outdoor music performances, stargazing tours, photography classes and astronomy education programs for children.
In addition, the local Baiyungu community, the traditional owners of the land, organized the first-ever Jamba Nyinayi Festival.
Held at nearby Coral Bay, the festival includes indigenous storytelling, music, dance, food and fire, ending with a drone show on Thursday night.
A sweeping view of the Ningaloo coast in Western Australia.
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Exmouth is about 1,250 km (777 miles) north of Western Australia’s capital Perth and is geographically closer to Papua New Guinea than Sydney or Melbourne.
But now, with a wave of hopeful stargazers arriving to see the eclipse, local tourism officials are hoping these guests will fall in love with the area, then go home and tell their friends and family about it.
And there’s some evidence of the region’s growing prominence on the international stage: CNN Travel picked Western Australia for our list of the best places to visit in 2023.
One of the region’s biggest attractions is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast, a 604,500-acre stretch known for an exceptional coral reef and home to whale sharks and sea turtles.
Additional park rangers were brought in to support the wave of new visitors. In all, the state of Western Australia spent AUD$20 million (US$13.5 million) on eclipse infrastructure updates, which included everything from water and sanitation to additional parking.
Local residents may be uneasy about her big moment in the sun (or just out of the sun), but Cook points to how many opportunities could arise in the months and years following the eclipse.
“They see it as a great opportunity to showcase their city and the area they live in and the great opportunity for tourism that could offer not only people coming this week but also people coming from all over.” watching the world.”