A trip to the International Space Station

By 2040 – or maybe even sooner – out-of-this-world holidays will be a reality, says Chris Carter

NASA astronauts in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft
A life jacket and whistle are beneath your seat
(Image credit: © SpaceX)

It’s the year 2040, and you decide to go on holiday. While you’re still sitting in your smart home, a digital avatar will appear as your travel agent, predicts Caroline Bremner, head of travel research at Euromonitor International, in a recent paper entitled Travel 2040. The avatar will use “emotion recognition software to match individual preferences with travel opportunities”. You’ll even get a virtual taster of what to expect before committing. The effects on climate change, energy conservation and waste prevention will all be factors in your decision.

So, you’ve decided, and told the digital travel agent where you want to go, and the day of departure rolls around. Your bags are packed and it’s time to leave for the airport. “You hop on a four-passenger air taxi over the city to the airport where a supersonic aircraft is waiting to whisk you in a few hours across oceans and continents.” At least, that’s the vision of French aerospace and defence group Thales.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.