Will Whitehorn’s presentation will be the first time the show has featured space travel - a market predicted to be worth an estimated $4 billion by 2030 - as part of its main stage programme.

Whitehorn, who led Virgin Galactic from 2004 to 2011 and is currently president of UKspace, is set to present a session entitled: Space: the final travel frontier?

During his talk, Whitehorn will discuss the feasibility of space tourism over the coming decades for an industry faced with the climate emergency and the ongoing space race between billionaires Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Whitehorn will also discuss his time collaborating with Branson, as well as his work since January 2022 on the UK government’s Space Exploration Advisory Committee.

Juliette Losardo, exhibition director of World Travel Market London, said the event was “honoured that a trailblazer such as Will is joining us”.
 
“For so long, space tourism has been a futuristic dream and it is now becoming a reality – albeit just for a handful of travellers; but of course, air travel was once seen in a similar light," she said.
 
“It’s important that we embrace new opportunities for leisure like this, to drive an improved future for travel. This is particularly thought-provoking as we emerge from a period which forced us to re-evaluate what we know as normal."