Future Space Tourism: A Review of Emerging Pathways, Challenges, and Prospects for Global Hospitality

Abstract

Driven by increased private sector investment, reusable launch technology, and growing global interest in commercial space travel, space tourism is developing into a transformative frontier bridging the hospitality and aerospace industries. Despite a significant increase in scholarly output on the topic, research remains fragmented at the technical, economic, policy, and empirical levels, with few attempts at comprehensive overviews. To address this gap, this study conducted a systematic review of publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2019 and 2025. Following the PRISMA screening protocol and VOSviewer for bibliometric visualization, 437 records were initially identified. After removing 172 duplicates and screening 265 abstracts, 135 irrelevant articles and 75 low-quality articles were excluded, leaving 55 studies for in-depth analysis. The bibliometric map reveals five central thematic clusters: (i) spaceport infrastructure and supporting technologies, (ii) market potential and economic feasibility, (iii) governance and regulatory framework, (iv) sustainability challenges and ecological issues, and (v) consumer behaviour and experience design. Co-authorship patterns highlight growing international and interdisciplinary collaboration, while keyword clustering reflects a shift from speculative discussions to practical, market-oriented research. Key challenges include unclear regulations, safety and risk management issues, and the environmental impacts associated with launch activities. However, promising avenues include innovations in the passenger experience, the development of hospitality models appropriate for the orbital environment, and technological strategies for sustainable spacecraft. By integrating these diverse perspectives, this study provides an integrated knowledge map that can guide researchers, industry participants, and policymakers in shaping the sustainable development of the space tourism industry.