FacebookX

Space travel may not be in your future, nor on the roster for any of your clients. However, as space travel and space tourism continue to make headlines and more civilians vie for seats on the next launch, many Americans have strong feelings about going to space.

According to a ValuePenguin survey of over 2,000 consumers, nearly half would love to fly into space and some would even go into debt to do so, but many more would not. Others see that space tourism may not be ethical.

Key findings:

    • *49% of Americans want to travel to space. Men are more interested in space travel than women (56% versus 44%), while interest in space tourism decreases with age (63% of Gen Zers versus 38% for baby boomers).

 

    • *28% of both men and Gen Zers would choose a free trip to space over being debt-free. Among all consumers, 23% opted for a trip to space rather than the ability to wipe out their debt.

 

    • *Reality check: Of those consumers who want to travel to space, just 19% would shell out $100,000 or more to make it happen — and even that might not be enough. Seats on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo are estimated to start at a whopping $250,000 per person.

 

    • *60% of Americans agree that space travel should be accessible for everyone, not just those who can afford the exorbitant costs. On a similar note, 41% don’t think billionaires should be spending so much money on space travel.

 

  • *About 1 in 4 (24%) don’t think space tourism is ethical. For example, some scientists fear that frequent space travel could give way to climate change, harming the environment through a high rate of emissions-per-passenger, as well as soot released by the rockets.

Of Course, there is always space travel on earth to be explored. Here are some Space Tourism Attractions to consider:

Epcot’s Mission: SPACE at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., may offer some major thrills. Then head to Space 220 Restaurant, which makes diners feel like they’re having a meal in a galaxy far far away with to the space-like views through every window.

National Air and Space Museum: For those who prefer museums over theme parks, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. holds the history of space travel within its halls, to be followed by some astronaut ice cream in the gift shop on exit.

Kennedy Space Center: Learn more about how astronauts train for their journeys into space, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Space Center Houston: For those visiting Texas the Space Center Houston is a must with an up-close experience of the Apollo Mission Control Center.

 

 

Lark Gould
Author: Lark Gould

Lark Gould has been a travel industry journalist for more than 30 years. She shares her insight on cruise travel, air travel, hotels, resorts, popular activities, attractions and destinations to assist travel advisors and travelers with the current news and information they need to travel well.