U-Apolónia Rodrigues uye wahlala ethandana nemingeni ekudaleni iindawo ezintsha kunye neendlela ezizayo zokhenketho oluzinzileyo. Waqala umsebenzi wakhe wobuchwephesha kwiNgingqi yezoKhenketho e-Évora ngo-1998, apho waphumeza iiprojekthi ezininzi de kwaba ngu-2007.
Umseki kunye nomyili wegama lendawo I-Dark Sky® kunye ne-Dark Sky® Alqueva, okwangoku nguMongameli we-Dark Sky® Association, kunye noMongameli weRede de Turismo de Aldeia do Alentejo.
Uye waququzelela iNethiwekhi yaseYurophu yeeNdawo zoXolo ukususela ngo-2010. Phakathi kwe-2010 kunye ne-2016 wayeyinkokeli ye-Task Force Indicators (NIT). I-NIT yenziwe yi-NECTStourR - Inethiwekhi yeMimandla yaseYurophu yoKhenketho oluZinzileyo kunye noKhuphiswano, eBrussels, eBelgium.
Phakathi kwe-2014 kunye ne-2016 wayelilungu le-ETIS POOL yeeNgcali, iqela elenziwe ngu-DG Grow, iKhomishoni yaseYurophu, ukuphuhlisa nokuvavanya i-European System of Tourism Indicators kwizenzo ezizinzileyo kunye nolawulo lwendawo. Phakathi kwe-2005 kunye ne-2014, u-Apolónia wayelilungu leQela lokuZinziswa kwezoKhenketho (TSG), iqela elenza i-Agenda ye-European Sustainable and Competitive Tourism, apho wathatha ukhokelo ngokubambisana kweQela leZikhombisi eziSebenzayo.
Eli qela lasekwa nguDG Grow weKhomishini yaseYurophu. Phakathi kuka-2009 no-2013 wayekwalilungu le-Eureka European Tourism Advisory Committee.
IiMbasa zaMazwe ngaMazwe kunye namaNqanawa: Ngo-2007 iprojekthi yakhe ye-European Network of Village Tourism yawongwa ngeBhaso le-Ulysses loMbutho weZizwe eziManyeneyo woKhenketho weHlabathi. Kwi-2016, i-IDA yawonga i-Apolónia ngembasa ye-Dark Sky Defender.
Ngo-2020 kwaye ibandakanywe kwiBhaso leBizz elinikwe yiWorldcob, wafumana iwonga lokuba nguSomashishini weHlabathi ka-2020 kunye ne-ACQ5 Global Awards umohluko weGameChanger yoNyaka kwiminyaka ka-2020 no-2021. Ngeprojekthi yakhe ye-Dark Sky® Alqueva, yona ifumene imbasa ye-Runner Up kwiBhaso le-Ulysses ngo-2013, kwaye ngo-2019 iBronze CTW yaseTshayina yoKwamkelwa iMbasa. Kwangalo nyaka, i-Dark Sky® Alqueva ifumene i-Oscar yoKhenketho kwi-World Travel Awards njengeMbasa yoKhenketho eJongene neNjongo yaseYurophu ngo-2019.
Kulo nyaka ka-2020 embindini wale meko yobhubhane, i-Dark Sky® Alqueva kunye ne-Dark Sky® Association bafumana ulwahlulo olwahlukileyo. NgoFebruwari, i-Dark Sky® i-Alqueva yawongwa ngeMbasa yokuHamba yoShishino, njengeNdawo yoKhenketho ePhakamisayo yaseYurophu ngo-2020, ilandelwa ngumahluko owawongwa liQela lobuNhloli boShishino, iMbasa yobuNkokheli obuZinzileyo ngo-2020. Ngo-Okthobha, i-Dark Sky® Alqueva iba yinxalenye ye Iindawo zokufikela eziZinzileyo kwiGlobal Top 100 ngeNdawo eziHlaza.
Kwaye ngoNovemba, ifumana i-ACQ5 Global Awards kudidi lweNkampani yoNyaka (Astrotourism) kwaye ifumana ezimbini “iiOscars zoKhenketho” ezisuka kumaBhaso oKhenketho eHlabathi, anje ngeMbasa yoKhenketho eJongene neXabiso laseYurophu ngo-2020 kunye neProjekthi yoKhenketho eKhokelayo yaseYurophu ngo-2020. Ngowama-2021, phakathi kwamanye amabhaso amaninzi, anje ngeBhaso lokuHamba oluNtofontofo, iMbasa yeHlabathi yeGreen, iMbasa yeHlabathi yokuHamba, nelinye i-“Oscar yoKhenketho” njengeMbasa yoKhenketho eJongene neNtofontofo ngo-2021.
I-Dark Sky® Association ifumana kwakhona ngo-2020 i-Bizz kunye neNcopho yeMpumelelo ngo-2021, enikwe yiWorldcob kunye ne-ACQ5 Country Awards, kudidi lwePortugal - Best Practice Operator of the Year (Astrotourism) ka-2020 kunye no-2021.