Industry experts predict space holidays before 3038 World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is this year celebrating its 30th event. The industry has changed dramatically since World Travel Market first opened its doors way back in 1980, and its set to evolve at an even quicker pace over the next 30 years. World Travel Market has asked some of the worldwide travel industry's most senior executives to predict the next three decades of the travel and tourism industry. Here, we ask if the final frontier of space travel will be achieved in the next 30 years. World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: "After countless false dawns, space travel will be a reality with people escaping to away-from-it-all holidays in space hotels located above the earth. "It is not a question of if, it's just a matter of time and money - but it's definitely coming." Car hire broker Holiday Autos Managing Director Stuart Nassos said: "Space travel is a big ticket item, but who hasn't dreamed about going into space? There are people who would pay for the chance." Cunard Managing Director Carol Marlow agreed: "Space travel will be a niche market of the market in 30 years. I'm sure once it has been proved to be safe the market will begin. It will be expensive - probably around $200,000 for a three or four hour experience, but there will be people who want it and will pay for it." Airline Monarch Group Overseas Operations and Purchasing Director Hugh Morgan believes space travel could be a lot cheaper. "I recently saw a presentation by Virgin Galactic and have never been so impressed," he said. "It will be expensive, but they (Virgin Galactic) have made so much progress already I don't think it will be as ridiculously expensive as I first thought - maybe tens of thousands of dollars rather hundreds of thousands." Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fonenla-Novoa revealed Thomas Cook took reservations for the first passenger service to space way back in 1950. "We did warn there may be some delay," he said. "More than one hundred people from all over the world booked seats on Thomas Cook's inaugural lunar tour within a matter of months. The waiting list finally closed in 1996 with 10,000 names on it."

-ends-

About World Travel Market World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Almost 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL - London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM. WTM, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals. WTM is owned by the world�s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a portfolio of other travel industry events including Arabian Travel Market and International Luxury Travel Market. RE holds more than 500 events in 38 countries throughout Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific covering 47 industry sectors including aerospace & aviation, healthcare, manufacturing and sport & recreation. In 2008 RE, part of the Reed Elsevier group, brought together more than six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. For more information please contact Nicole Collett - Nicole.collett@reedexpo.co.uk, 020 8910 7836