New Mexico Tourism Department Participates
in Philadelphia Forum for Accredited Space Travel Agents
When Governor Bill Richardson and Sir Richard Branson joined forces in December 2005 to announce that the New Mexico Spaceport being built north of Las Cruces would be Virgin Galactic's world headquarters, it was only a question of time before a new breed of a travel agent would follow suit – and that the New Mexico Tourism Department would be one of the first in line to welcome them.
“Booking your spaceflight with us is even easier now,” the Virgin Galactic website proclaims, with the appointment of Accredited Space Agents “handpicked … from around the globe to sell Virgin Galactic spaceflights.”
According to Virgin Galactic, the travel agents are the “first in the world to embark on a journey of this kind... (and) have expressed particular interest in Spaceport America and New Mexico as it will be the future home and launch site of Virgin Galactic.”
Virgin Galactic staged the first Global Forum for their Accredited Space Agents in Philadelphia, PA January 20-23, 2008. On behalf of New Mexico’s growing space industry,Tourism Department Deputy Secretaries Sharon Maloof and Craig Swagerty were also there to help welcome the nearly 50 agents from 14 different countries who attended the forum.
“The New Mexico Spaceport will bring visitors and visibility for New Mexico from around the world and beyond, said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the Tourism Department. “The Land of Enchantment is leading the way into the Final Frontier, and the world will be watching as we reach for the stars.”
The Accredited Space Agents were also treated to in-depth product updates and centrifuge training at a brand new commercial centrifuge facility in Philadelphia; and traveled to New York City for the unveiling of the final designs of “WhiteKnightTwo” and “SpaceShipTwo” by Branson and Burt Rutan. Rutan was the designer and pilot of SpaceShipOne, winner of the Ansari X-Prize in 2004, becoming the first privately funded spacecraft to enter the realm of space twice within a two-week period.
The New Mexico Tourism Department has been a proud sponsor and supporter of the annual X-Prize Cup in Las Cruces and Alamogordo since its inception in 2005.
“New Mexico is the place to be to experience the future firsthand,” Secretary Cerletti said.
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