THE FREEDOM OF MAKING DREAMS BECOME REALITY: GO, SPACE TOURISM!
Author: Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu is the Chair and Professor of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (THEM) at the University of Florida, where she is also the Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute (EFTI).
In 2000, in my first semester teaching Introduction to Travel and Tourism as a young assistant professor, I asked students in my class to imagine what the exciting future of the travel and tourism industries would be; “space tourism” was one of several mentioned categories on the list in addition to robotics and artificial intelligence, sustainable tourism, cruise tourism, dark tourism, and medical tourism.
In the months prior to the economy-crash disaster in 2008, I asked students in my class, if there were “space tourism” for tourists, how many wealthy tourists would be interested in paying to take a space jet to see Mars? The guessing price varied. I boldly predicted “$300,000/per passenger” while the whole class thought that was absolutely overpriced, taking a space shuttle to Mars or the moon could be quite impossible, but everyone simply could not wait to see it (space tourism) happen soon.
Time flies. While we all are still observing and suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, space tourism occupied the cover page of news on Sunday, July 11, 2021. The creativity of human brains, the revolutionary progress in technologies, the potential prosperity and wild publicity generated by space tourism, and summer craziness and desire for adventure tourism have celebrated the historical moment collectively. A commercial spaceplane cheered everyone who grasped this day without borders.
According to several released media news reports, the company has spent a hundred million dollars manufacturing this Virgin Galactic Blue Origin that reached out to the edge of the space and touched down safely with its own CEO and adventurer, Sir Richard Branson, on board along with two pilots and three other passengers. The impacts of space tourism on economies and human history are priceless.
Being the first born, being the first person to do something, or being the first product that grabbed customers’ attention can always earn a position, whether media spotlights or through profits, and can naturally gain a brand name and beyond. Indeed, it’s a strategic success for Branson’s Virgin group jet company. This first all-civilian spaceflight crew and passengers will be recorded in human history. The attention it received and the direct and indirect effects that have been generated before, during, and after the space tourism launching facts, is the real deal. We see a clear and clever frontrunner. “Welcome to the dawn of a new space age”, said Branson.
The world expects to greet more followers who can present more innovative products and more exciting plans with broadened educational purposes.
We were entertained by the space tourism idea and then witnessed the successful outcomes in this season. The world will hopefully harvest a positive total effect for generations. The sky is no longer the limit.
Seeing the earth from a commercial jet within the zone of inner-outer space, experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness, reaching a peak altitude, and feeling the touch of unlimited galaxies excited many of us, especially after global lockdown for more than a year-and-a-half.
Psychologically and mentally, the encouragement is deep, and the excitement is contagious. Space tourism in 2021 symbolized freedom. The freedom to make dreams become reality. Freedom to put the fear of this infamous Delta variant out of our minds. Go, space tourism!
