Remember the future that sci-fi movies interpreted? The one where families are vacationing in space? And we are moving around in a capsule air car – covering up miles of distance in a matter of seconds? And a robot army taking over the world? Well, it looks like the future is not very far. SpaceX is all set to launch four civilians for a three-day voyage to space. Elon Musk’s dream of ordinary people orbiting the cosmos is coming true – bringing him a step closer to establishing a colony on Mars.

A Trip to Space With Zero Astronauts on Board

Can you imagine a rocket is flying to space without any astronauts on board? SpaceX Dragon is all set to leave earth with zero astronauts on board coming Wednesday from Florida. The passengers are entirely dependent on the Dragon’s autonomous capabilities to navigate and return back safely. This trip is called Inspiration4. The trip will witness Jared Issacman – a technology billionaire, and three others orbiting space. This trip will be a testament to Musk’s vision that regular everyday people who are relatively fit can withstand the hardships of spaceflight. The crew’s health will be monitored to understand the impact of spaceflight.

More Than Just a Trip to Space

SpaceX Dragon’s voyage is more than just a trip for four to space. It also doubles as a charitable fundraiser for cancer research. It, at its core, is a promotional event – and will have its own Netflix documentary ahead of the launch. The quest is to make more and more people comfortable with the idea of taking a flight to space. If the flight is successful – it will be followed by similar take-offs over the next two years. Eventually, an era where taking a trip to space will be a routine is not far away. Titanic’s one of the most loved dialogues, Jack: where to miss? Rose: to the stars… will not be a far-fetched dream.

Even when the lockdown restrictions are in place throughout the Scandinavian countries – it looks like international tourism is making its way back to the region. Experts predict a shift in travel patterns in the coming years. When it comes to Scandinavian travel tales, luxurious nature escapades and more individualized travel options make their way to popularity. Tourists are looking for a soulful experience, and a break from their city lives.

Nature Getaways

Scandinavian countries offer the perfect opportunity to immerse oneself in the luxury experiences nature has to offer. A spokesperson from 50 Degrees North said that the traditional image of luxury as fancy items has changed – the image now has evolved into having premium experiences which is available in abundance in the region. She further added that the pre-existing slow travel trend where people wanted to experience the local environment and interact with the locals is further fueled by the Pandemic.

The senior project manager for Visit Sweden’s sustainable nature tourism program said that coming years would see nature tourism blooming as people will find ways to unwind from technology. The program has also seen a shift towards more natural consumption like plant-based food and sustainable architecture.

Luxury Feat Nature

However, it is also noticed that tourists prefer nature-based vacations that are enveloped in comfortable and safe adventures. They show more interest in privately arranged experiences.

The Rise in Demand for More Individual Accommodation

A very clear trend for individual accommodations has emerged in the tourism ecosystem. Rental platforms like AirBnB are further accelerating the trend. People want to travel like locals and experience local culture, and living at such local accommodation fulfills that desire.

People now want to explore local coffee shops, pubs, and cocktail bars instead of famous landmark places. Even the glamping trend is on the rise.

Workations Becoming a Norm

The region is also adequate to meet the changing norms of the workplace. Visit Sweden is also carrying out various research to see the impact of working in nature impacts productivity.