Dubai seen ripe for space tourism

How about having lunch at the bottom of the Arabian Gulf and dinner 100 kilometres above Dubai’s manmade islands?

According to international hospitality gurus, tourists in Dubai may get the best of both the worlds within “a working lifetime” since the desert city is not just building the world’s first underwater hotel - the Hydropolis - but is also among the few destinations besides the US to ripen up for space tourism.

This and the future of high-tech tourism were explored by 250 delegates from global hotel chains and tour operators at the fifth Annual Orion Congress, held at the Atlantis resort in Palm Jumeirah.

Speaking at the Congress, Brian Binnie, test pilot of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipOne (SS1), the prototype of what is poised to become the first commercial carrier for tourists in the orbit, said: “Dubai is perfectly positioned to be at the leading edge of this [space] industry.”

According to the Federation Aéronautique Internationale, the world’s governing body for air and space adventurers, only 450 people - professional astronauts on government missions - have been to the space.

But now anyone who is ready to shell out $200,000 (Dh734, 000) may reach for the sky. The SS2 will board up to six tourists at a time and float totally weightless in space for several minutes – only to make them feel seven times heavier while diving back to Earth.

“It’s a good kick in the pants,” said Binnie. However, civilians need to pass strict health checks and exercises.

Virgin Galactic said it has received 65,000 booking requests from tourists in 125 countries, some of whom are reportedly based in the UAE.

“Within 15 seconds, you’re going faster than the proverbial bullet. After 60, you’re like a bat out of hell.” Astronauts in orbit can reach speeds of over seven kilometres per second.

The main attraction, according to Binnie, is the vastness and serenity of the outer space. “You can sense the peace and majesty in the view; [witness] weather patterns you don’t see in the evening news. It’s an experience that’ll sell itself and bring you joy,” he added.

Back on Earth, meanwhile, tourists will go ‘green’ and high-tech. Robots will replace waiters, at least when it comes to simple orders, said Keith Johnson, a professor from the Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK.

Holograms, or virtual people, have already arrived on the scene, Johnson said. For example, the Teleportec company in the US can hold meetings where a lifelike, live image of a person pops up in thin air. The technology costs around Dh147,000.
“Think 40 to 50 years forward – a typical working lifetime. Be creative,” he said.
Some of his students have even suggested virtual tourism, bringing the destination to the tourist, instead of the other way around. Other ideas include a foldable mini-hotel pod, on stills.

Hotels here spend around five per cent of the building cost on IT needs, which are planned “even before the concrete is poured out”, said Oliver Menzel, Vice President for the Middle East operations of MICROS-Fidelio.

“Everything can be done through the phone – booking, check in, opening the room’s door, check out, etc. Microchips will follow the guest around and track his or her behaviour for follow ups and customise settings the next time the guest visits,” said Menzel.

Johnson said there is a “need to think about the environment as well”.

Soaring fuel prices may see the return of airship, essentially a giant balloon that lets hotel guests’ cruise at lower altitude to savour their destinations of choice.

Dubai-based Peter Fulton, Managing Director of Hyatt International Southwest Asia, said: “Innovation may be perceived to be a little overdone. We live in a complicated world, and things may get even more complicated.”

His conservative forecast for “the next couple of years” included a personal host on call 24 hours a day. “These will be people willing to interact with guests in a natural manner,” he added.

Marc Dardenne, CEO of Emaar Hotels & Resorts, said: “Clean and luxurious bed linens, speedy check in and bath products are the top preferences of hotel guests.”
Generating 22 per cent of the GDP, tourism is the single largest bread winner for Dubai, said Ghassan Aridi, CEO of Alpha Tours.