• Simon Robson

Next consider April the first 2001. Almost one hundred and sixty years later and Dennis Tito is sitting in a similarly unfamiliar hunk of metal - this time it is a Russian space rocket. Not only are there people cheering from the ground, there are people around the world watching in (www.space.com). Tito is crammed into a tiny space module aware that his place in history is assured. As thousands of tons of complex fuels explode, forcing downwards, the rocket lifts. A new age is upon us - the age of space tourism, Dennis Tito will be the first tourist in space (The Guardian: 1).

These moments are undeniably key within the history of modern leisure tourism. Yet they seem not only distant in time but also in concept. I shall investigate the relative properties of each of these moments, aiming to see if they are really all that different. I shall not be swayed by the obvious differences or romantic similarities, instead I shall weigh them up and attempt to arrive at a sensible conclusion.