LSSH Lunch Seminar ONLINE Wed 10th Sept w. Annette Toivonnen "Terrestrial space tourism as an educational experience"

[Graham Minenor-Matheson]

Hello to all you wonderful (outer) space fans! We hope you had a lovely summer break? We are pleased to announce the first instalment of the Linköping Space Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (LSSH) Space Lunch Seminar series on Wednesday 10th September 12.00-13.00CET with Annette Toivonen of Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland who will be speaking about "Terrestrial space tourism as an educational experience". As always you are all welcome to attend and tell all of your friends too. Abstract and Zoom link below: Abstract: Whilst the New Space industry tourism aims to provide traveller beyond the Earth experiences, which due to high pricing will be hard for the masses to replicate, there are already several less costly alternatives possible to experience space tourism from the soil of Earth. Terrestrial space tourism includes Earth-based simulations and entertainment experiences such as visits to space observatories, museums and exhibitions, star gazing with a telescope and watching the Northern Lights. Cyberspace tourism, another form of terrestrial space tourism, includes experiences such as virtual gaming environments and virtual reality space travel. Terrestrial space tourism, commonly in tourism destination marketing rhetoric’s defined as astro tourism, combines scientific knowledge with astronomical, cultural and natural environmental activities. Astro tourism relates to special interest, nature-based tourism, where visitors focus specifically on astronomy-related leisure and educational activities with the intent to observe and appreciate the celestial sphere. For example, whilst admiring the beauty of the colorful Northern Lights, tourists can simultaneously enhance their knowledge of this space phenomena. Currently the post-modern travellers increasingly seek out tourism experiences that positively satisfy their needs and desires. Educational experiences combined to the tourism product may indeed enhance knowledge through active participation to the experience, which may even lead to individual transformation and to create a sense of triumph. This paper examines the meaning of the concept of the tourism experience fitted into the context of New Space tourism through a benchmarking study. Despite of New Space industry tourism being initially viewed as exclusive experience of the wealthy in an authentic space environment, it is simultaneously also important to highlight the future importance and impacts of experiencing the space environment from Earthbound or even through a virtual experience platform. Keywords: New Space tourism, terrestrial space tourism, astrotourism, experience economy, virtual experience, education Graham Minenor-Matheson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: LSSH Lunch Space Seminar ZOOM Time: Sep 10, 2025 12:00 PM Stockholm Join Zoom Meeting https://liu-se.zoom.us/j/61758542851?pwd=vby1bKkCarlodRhUmR0oPDCtSKYc7M.1 Meeting ID: 617 5854 2851 Passcode: 328000 Hope to see you all there! Best, Graham and Michael