Two
albeit brief visits to the International Space Station by
private citizens have brought the concept of space tourism
closer to becoming a real and commercial possibility. The
large numbers of people who visit space-related attractions
or who ‘consume’ outer space via cinema and
TV, and the smaller, but not inconsiderable, number who
have actually signed up for future space trips, suggest
that there is a viable market for rocket-powered (sub)orbital
flight and, in the longer term, visits to orbiting ‘hotels’.
This paper explores the potential new phenomenon of space
tourism and how far it is likely to differ from terrestrial
tourism. It argues that the similarities – in terms
of tourists’ motivations, the trend for niche and
adventure travel, impacts and tourism’s propensity
both to influence and be influenced by external actions
– are much greater than the differences. It discusses
the space–regulatory regime of which tourism will
need to become part and suggests further parallels as well
as differences. The paper also investigates the agenda of
those driving the space tourism industry through such individuals’
own writings and argues that it is based more on dreams
of colonizing outer space than on providing a new experience
for tourists. |
