Travellers remain hesitant about space tourism despite the successful return of NASA’s Artemis II mission, according to new data from the Global Rescue Spring 2026 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey.
While Artemis II marks a major milestone in reestablishing human lunar exploration and advancing plans for a sustained presence on the Moon, the survey shows most travellers are not ready to follow. Only 24% of respondents say they are very or somewhat interested in travelling to the Moon. In contrast, nearly three-quarters (74%) report low or no interest, including 57% who say they are not interested at all.
“The Artemis II mission proves what’s possible,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies. “But traveller sentiment makes clear that possibility doesn’t equal demand, at least not yet.”
Cost and risk
Cost is a major barrier. Only about 10% would consider paying up to $250,000 for a trip, and fewer than 2% would pay $750,000 or more. At the other end of the spectrum, nearly three-quarters of travellers, 74%, say none of the proposed price points, including options exceeding $1 million, are acceptable.
Even with Artemis II’s success, travellers remain focused on risk. A majority, 56%, cite catastrophic mission failure as their primary safety concern. Being stranded ranks second at 17%, while concerns about getting sick or injured during the trip are relatively low at just under 7%.
“Space travel introduces a category of risk that most travellers have never had to evaluate,” Richards said. “The consequences are absolute, and that heavily shapes perception.”
The survey also found that women are less interested in lunar travel than men, with 62% reporting no interest at all compared with 55% of men. Non-US travellers show somewhat higher interest and slightly more pricing tolerance than US-based respondents, though overall sentiment remains cautious across all groups.
Current commercial space travel is operational but remains limited and expensive. Offerings include short suborbital flights and multi-day orbital missions, including trips to the International Space Station. Despite this progress, costs remain a major barrier, with suborbital seats priced in the hundreds of thousands and orbital missions costing several million dollars.
Artemis II represents a significant step forward in human space exploration. But the survey findings suggest consumer readiness still trails technological capability. For now, while returning to the Moon is no longer theoretical, most travellers remain content to stay Earthbound.
If you enjoyed or found this story useful, we’d appreciate if you would forward it to a colleague or friend who may also enjoy it. If, on the other hand, a friend shared it with you, welcome! You can get all the latest travel news and reviews from Travel Industry by simply clicking HERE.