The Top Countries Leading the Space Tourism Race

Space tourism is truly a world of the unknown, literally and figuratively. Most to almost all of the population in this current time won't be able to do a tourism expedition to space, which is why it is so fascinating to us “earthlings.” Only specialized astronauts, researchers and scientists dabble in this industry, perhaps some lucky one-percenters as well. It is important to know that space tourism is more important to certain countries than to other countries, not only because it is a multi-billion-dollar industry but because it is the future, a chance for innovation and helps us further understand Mother Earth. 

It is also important to the shared community of people who admire space and picture a way of life without the borders of Earth, hoping that roaming space will become a norm in the near future. This article dives into the countries that see space tourism as a leading sector of tourism and an investment in research and development. To fully understand where space tourism booms, we have to understand that the countries that dedicate a hub for it propel the industry itself. So let’s fly away… the countries that lead space tourism are ready to launch!

United States

Many consider the United States as one of the main leaders in the space tourism sector because it has so many programs offering unique space tourism experiences. SpaceX, for example, offers high-end orbital trips and lunar expeditions, whereas Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Axiom Space organize private ISS missions. In recent developments, the United States even has commercial flights to space that first started as research and is now used for leisure, Virgin Galactic is a prime testament to that. Let’s not look past the power of NASA, the leading giant of the global space sector, consistently providing new data, studies and conclusions from smaller corporations.

China

China has increasingly led the space tourism industry, especially in recent years, from the private sector to the state programs, and it is diversifying space tourism immensely research to potentially commercial. The new Tiangong space station and Chinese commercial startups are developing vehicles for suborbital tourism. This is laying the groundwork to possibly host commercial astronauts. Although no civilian tourists have flown to space yet, China’s ambitious mission for commercial space is evolving: the government has encouraged private launches and space tech companies, which underlines their support for tourism ventures.

Japan

Japan has been eager and ambitious to join the space tourism realm in recent years and has become a leader in the community. One high-profile effort is Yusaku Maezawa’s dearMoon project, which was a privately funded endeavour with Spacex to fly artists around the Moon on Starship. Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire who visited the ISS in 2021, is sponsoring this lunar tourism journey and most of its funds. There will be an upcoming flight part of this initiative this current year, expected to be a week-long lunar flyby carrying Maezawa and a crew of international artists. Overall, Japan’s growing human spaceflight experience has been evident globally, with many Japanese astronauts embarking on ships like NASA’s Gateway lunar station.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE is one of the leading partners in hosting and facilitating orbital toursim. The UAE already funded missions to send Emirati astronauts to the ISS (Hazza Al Mansouri in 2019, and Sultan Al Neyadi in 2023). 2023 maeked a remarkable time for the UAE’s contribution to the space sector, with Sultan Al Neyadi’s 2023 ISS mission, a 6-month stay that made him the first Arab to perform a spacewalk and at the same time two Saudi private astronauts visited the ISS, meaning they were all in space at the same time! Beyond that, it is also projected to become the top leader in the near future due to the progress it has made in recent years.

France

France is the leading spacefare country in Europe, with a unique focus on tourism. Their agency CNES, notably partnered with the startup Zephalto on a high-altitude balloon space tourism project. Tickets are to be priced at €120,000 per person, complete with a Michelin-starred dining experience. ​This venture should become fully implemented sometime this year. France also offers Novespace’s zero-G airplane flights from Bordeaux, where the public gets to feel weightlessness. France shows purpose in tapping into space for experience, rather than solely research, which is a value that the space tourism community appreciates. 

‍Answering Your Questions

1. What is space tourism?

Space tourism is an industry of spacefare allowing consumers to be astronauts and experience space. It is a commercial, leisure and luxurious part of the industry that lets more people explore space, usually at a very high cost.

2. What is the main country leading space tourism?

The main country currently leading space tourism is the United States due to Spacex being established in 2002 by Elon Musk. They have been specializing in commercial flights since its inception over twenty years ago, having been very successful and popular.

3. How much does it cost to go to space tourism?

It can range from tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

4. Does space tourism currently exist?

Yes, it does currently exist! It is not as common and popular because it is still fairly new, and many people cannot afford its prices, which are based on the exclusivity of the activity. 

Countries Flying into Space

The space tourism industry is one that many countries don’t want to let fly by, and some countries defy gravity at doing so, cultivating space tourism sectors more advanced than one could imagine. From the United States, massive growth due to SpaceX has led it to be the current number 1 leader to France focusing mainly on the experience economy, which is at the heart of space tourism. The UAE created unique missions allowing artists to travel to space, proving that intent and purpose are the leading factors in this special world. Overall, space tourism is not going away and with more time and advancement, we hope to see it as a norm, something all humans can take part in!