Space tourism’s ‘green’ marketing dilemma

By the year 2012, two travel sectors will be represented in space. First there were flights, and now there is accommodation. Barcelona based tourism company, Galactic Suite, recently confirmed their intentions to launch a fully functional space hotel by 2012. This news follows the Virgin Galactic announcement of its commercial space flights, commencing early 2009. [...]

By the year 2012, two travel sectors will be represented in space. First there were flights, and now there is accommodation. Barcelona based tourism company, Galactic Suite, recently confirmed their intentions to launch a fully functional space hotel by 2012. This news follows the Virgin Galactic announcement of its commercial space flights, commencing early 2009. Now it’s only moon buggy hire and guided tours that remain commercially unavailable - but watch this space.

A space hotel is great news for anybody willing to cough up the rumoured £2 million it will cost for a 3 night stay. It’s also great for all those budding young astronauts and Star Wars buffs, who have always longed to boldly go where once they were commercially unable. But unsurprisingly, this is extremely bad news for the wellbeing of planet earth and its fragile environment.

Painting a positive picture of space travel, will present the biggest challenge ever faced by green marketing experts. The questions are, does the environment need more ozone depleting travel products – particularly those as potentially detrimental as space tourism? And how are these new enterprises going to counteract the growing public dislike of all things mildly polluting?

The travel industry’s reputation is already in jeopardy, regarded the worst carbon contributor when in fact only creating 2% of the worlds global emissions. What green marketing strategies will these companies need to employ to remain in public favour? Do they really expect consumers to believe that these new space tourism operations have an environmental conscience?

Hear Virgin Galactic’s green marketing strategy at Sales and Marketing in Travel Europe www.eyefortravel.com/smeurope2007 Also featuring environmental discussion from easyJet, Eurostar and Scandic