Virgin Galactic is Partnering with a Luxury Travel Agent Tto ake Space Tourism Mainstream

Virgin Galactic, the space tourism corporation founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, has entered a partnership with Virtuoso, a community of luxurious journey agencies, to provide a limited selection of spaceflight seats to Virtuoso shoppers, the two organizations announced on July 21. Although Virgin Galactic has nonetheless to begin commercial operation, the partnership assists create space journey as a new group of luxurious tourism. 

Virgin Galactic sells 90-moment round trips to and from the edge of Earth’s ambiance (about 50 miles higher than sea stage) in a spaceplane for $450,000 per individual. In July 2021, the corporation properly flew a whole-crew check mission for the first time, with Branson and 5 Virgin workforce on board. The corporation suggests it has bought more than 700 reservations. By means of the new partnership, Virtuoso travel advisors will have special access to a confined quantity of reservations inside Virgin Galactic’s initially 1,000 seats, in accordance to a push launch.

Virgin expects to roll out its commercial spaceflights in the initial quarter of 2023, the enterprise said in Might. Until finally then, prospective buyers who have place in a deposit are presented access to member things to do, together with astronaut schooling courses and situations and visits around the globe.

Virgin Galactic is competing with Blue Origin, which launches paying out prospects to a identical altitude but employing a rocket alternatively than a airplane. Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, commenced industrial launches very last summertime. But its reserving process and pricing are much less clear than that of Virgin Galactic, which expenses a flat rate.

Virtuoso is a platform for more than 20,000 travel agents who hook up substantial-income shoppers to more than 2,200 inns and resorts, cruise lines, airlines and tour organizations in 100 countries. Virtuoso organizations offer $25–$30 billion worth of journey on a yearly basis, generating it a considerable player in luxurious journey. Partnering with Virtuoso could enable Virgin Galactic get to a vast base of possible prospects. It’s estimated more than 2.4 million people today in the environment can pay for its $450,000 rate tag.

“For our advisors who have purchasers seeking pioneering, transformational journey, a Virgin Galactic spaceflight is the greatest experience,” Matthew D. Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso who has reserved a seat on Virgin Galactic, claimed in a assertion.