By Louis Jones 
When Virgin Galactic said that some 600 people have already been booked to travel to space and are about to commence training, the questions that many people were left asking is, “Should I pay and travel right away or stick to conventional tourism?” Well, if you are one of them, we will help you to make the big decision by comparing the two:
Space Tourism: What does it Take to Travel to Space?
As the name space tourism suggests, it involves travelling out of the earth’s atmosphere for leisure. Only astronauts could travel to space in the past, but things are very different now because anyone in good health can book a ticket. Because it entails traveling outside the earth’s atmosphere where the gravitational force is zero and temperatures to the extreme, you can only travel there using special space vehicles designed to help you overcome the harsh environment.
Benefits of Travelling to Space: Andrey Bokarev
Traveling to space comes with unique benefits that you can never get from conventional tourism. Here are some of them:
- Because you are traveling away from the earth, it implies that you will be able to observe it as another planet- the way you see other stars at night.
- If you are among the first people to travel there, it will be a great opportunity for you to make history. Your name will feature permanently among the people who first visited the space
- This will be an extraordinary moment to experience the uniqueness of nature. From the expansiveness of nothingness in space to weightlessness, these are awesome experiences worth the high cost.
- You get to enjoy special activities, such as spacewalking and space sports. You can also take a lot of photos of the earth and other stars.
Cons
Space tourism is indeed fantastic, but it comes with some key disadvantages. First, the cost is very high. Although it could come down in the future, the minimum you can expect to pay at the moment is $250,000 if taking a suborbital flight using Virgin Galactic. So are you ready to pay this?
Another disadvantage is that you cannot travel there if you are in poor health. For example, if you have some conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, no company will allow you onboard.
Conventional Tourism
This is the standard tourism as we know it here on earth. You can get on a plane, your car, or walk to the nearest travel destination. It is that simple!
Advantages
- Cheap.
- Easy to plan.
- You are the one in full control.
- You can travel to a beach to enjoy yourself no matter your health or age.
Cons
The biggest issue with conventional tourism is that the experience is somehow similar no matter where you go. Yes, you might experience different cultures, but it feels the same – you are still meeting people, visiting beaches in different areas, and seeing animals in the jungle. At some point, you might feel like you have traveled everywhere.
From this comparison, each type of tourism indeed comes with unique benefits, but space tourism is unique. You are able to travel with a difference and get an experience that is impossible to get anywhere else. This is in line with Andrey Bokarev, the President of Transmashholding (TMH), suggestion that whether you are pursuing a personal or business activity, it should be driven by desire to stand out and enjoying high-value for money. Although space tourism is expensive, you should not miss it if you can afford.