Entrepreneurs in the space tourism industry anticipate that one day we will all opt for out-of-this-world vacations, whether it be a flight into suborbital space or a hotel stay among the stars.
Moon World Resorts’ staff thinks so, to a degree.
They want to construct a series of enormous hotels resembling the moon on Earth in the shape of domes. More specifically, Dubai.
With realistic-looking craters and texture, each sphere will be a grand scale, 360-degree recreation of the moon. Each reproduced moon could tower 735 feet high (224 meters) with a 2,042 foot periphery, contingent upon area and arranging consents.
Moon World Resorts co-founder and Canadian entrepreneur Michael R. Henderson tells CNN Travel that the project’s core concept is that the moon is a “recognizable brand.”
“Seven and a half billion individuals know it, everyone loves it,” he says.
Going global
Each Moon World Resort, according to Henderson, will be “a very luxurious and contemporary, fully integrated destination resort, with a lot of components inside that one would already know,” such as a convention center, restaurants, and spa with a lunar twist, among other things.
Artist renderings depict interiors in the style of spaceships and themed entertainment, including Henderson’s idea for the attraction’s highlight, a walk on the moon experience.
Henderson declares, “We will give you the ability to walk on what you will believe to be the lunar surface in your lifetime.”
Moon World Resorts has been in the works for two decades, which Henderson, who previously established a medical services company, suggests is comparable to the slower pace of space tourism in general.
According to Henderson, the project faces “tremendous technical challenges,” but Henderson and co-founder Sandra G. Matthews are collaborating with independent engineers and architects to bring the idea to life.
“We essentially have a plenty of gatherings all over the planet who we simply pull in, as we really want them. However, it goes without saying that they will be situated in a particular region once construction on the project actually begins.
The construction of four Moon resorts—one in Asia, one in the Middle East and Northern Africa, one in Europe, and one in North America—is the long-term objective. Because Moon World Resorts is a company that sells licenses, Henderson wants to sell each Moon World Resort to people who can splash the cash.
The company has identified Dubai, in particular, as a “front runner” for the opening of the first Moon World resort. Henderson claims that this is because the United Arab Emirates is home to “a lot of infrastructure” projects and is “very popular for tourists.”
But Henderson also says that “other options are popping up,” but he won’t say any more for the time being.
Moon fun
The majority of travelers are currently unable to participate in space tourism due to the prohibitive cost. Space excursions, for instance, have recently been available for $450,000 from Virgin Galactic.
Henderson says the Moon World Retreat experience will be altogether less expensive, proposing joining to walk the hotel’s “lunar surface” will cost visitors US$500.
Even though Henderson suggests that the licensing model makes the project viable, cost can also prevent futuristic projects like Moon World Resorts from ever moving past the conceptual stage.
He explains, “It’s not so much looking for capital.” Like us, a licensor’s objective is to locate the licensee. As a result, once you have secured the licensee, you will have the funds for the projects that are already underway. These are not small businesses; rather, they will be major international corporations.
Henderson anticipates securing the first licensee by the end of 2022, who will be required to spend $5 billion on construction. In 2027, he projects the opening of the first Moon World resort.
Henderson hopes that each Moon World Resort will become its own unique destination. He imagines tourists simply stopping by to take in the structure, even if they aren’t staying there or using the futuristic facilities.
He name checks building structures like the Guggenheim Exhibition hall in Bilbao, or the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as motivation on this front,
“Clearly individuals like to see the renderings of what’s going on within. However, “I think that’s going to be the mind blower,” he says, “I think a lot of people are going to be excited when you look up at the world’s largest sphere.”
