October 3rd, 2023, Christien Pheby
Just over a month ago, Virgin Galactic launched its first suborbital space tourism flight – and since then, the company has launched three other such flights. But the cosmos isn’t the only frontier for the adventurous traveller: thrill-seekers have been travelling to Mount Everest for decades, and more moneyed tourists have recently been taking submarines to the ocean floor.
A YouGov poll of 750 Britons reveals that most aren’t interested in such trips. Whether because of the occasionally tragic results of travelling to space, the sea bed, or climbing the slopes of the world’s highest mountain, the public are more likely to say they’d prefer not to.
Just a third (32%) say they would travel to space as a private customer, while two-thirds (66%) would not; even fewer would consider Everest (26% vs. 73%). Perhaps given the recency of the Titan submersible disaster, it’s not all too surprising that people are least likely to say they would take a submarine to the ocean floor (13% vs. 84%).
Health and safety concerns may play a key role for many consumers. Just a quarter trust space tourism companies with the health and safety of passengers (23%), while almost half (47%) do not.
The recent Titan disaster may have also coloured perceptions of companies offering submarine trips: just 9% say they would trust these companies with health and safety, while three-quarters (73%) would not. Companies providing trips to Everest, which has seen hundreds of deaths since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summitted it in 1953, have a better reputation for safety, but only a minority trust them overall (35% trust vs. 37% distrust).
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YouGov polled 750 British adults online on 25-26 September. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.