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The Conversation
The Conversation
Betsy Pudliner, Associate Professor of Hospitality and Technology Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Space tourism’s growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement – a tourism scholar explains how

Blue Origin Aisha Bowe Gayle King Katy Perry Kerianne Flynn Lauren Sánchez Earth NASA Space travel
Blue Origin's NS-31 flight lifted off on April 14, 2025. Justin Hamel/Getty Images

On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched six women – Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez – on a suborbital journey to the edge of space.

The headlines called it a historic moment for women in space. But as a tourism educator, I paused – not because I questioned their experience, but because I questioned the language. Were they astronauts or space tourists? The distinction matters – not just for accuracy, but for understanding how experience, symbolism and motivation shape travel today.

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