Source: Les Roches
  • Álvaro Giménez Cañete, Special Delegate of the Government for the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), emphasized that space travel is becoming increasingly probable and accessible; hence, the role of space agencies is to promote its safety and regulation.
  • Pioneering projects like Halo Space by Carlos Mira, Above Space by Tim Alatorre, Humans 2 Venus by Guilermo Söhnlein, and Proteus by Fabien Cousteau showcased their advancements during the event.
  • 32% of the presentations were led by internationally renowned women in both sectors.
  • Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, revealed that next year, SUTUS will be hosted at Les Roches’ campuses in Marbella and Switzerland.

Marbella - The fourth edition of the Space and Underwater Tourism Universal Summit (SUTUS 2023), organized by Medina Media Events and Les Roches, set a record for attendance compared to previous editions, bringing together top-notch projects and keynote speakers. SUTUS establishes itself as the leading summit that encompasses these two sectors.

During SUTUS 2023, the latest developments of some of the most ambitious projects on the planet were presented to over 552 professionals and university students from all five continents. The summit delivered inspirational messages from representatives of major entities and space agencies worldwide, emphasizing health and safety as priorities in luxury tourism.

Given such success, Carlos Díez de las Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, announced that next year, we will host SUTUS at Les Roches campuses in Marbella and Switzerland. This will further solidify our leadership in global conferences of these sectors.

The Spanish Space Agency Takes Center Stage at SUTUS:

Up to six international space agencies took the spotlight at the fourth edition of SUTUS by Les Roches, serving as an international platform to showcase the current and future plans of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE). One of the most prominent developments was Spain's participation in NASA's ARTEMIS program, which aims to send the first woman to the Moon in 2025.

Eva Villaver, one of the most influential women in the space sector and recently appointed director of Space at the Spanish Space Agency, highlighted that the agency's initial goals include compiling reports, attracting private sector involvement, promoting space education and training... all to establish a National Space Law and make space accessible to the public.

Álvaro Giménez Cañete, Special Delegate of the Government for the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), stated, Space travel is becoming increasingly probable and accessible; hence, the role of space agencies is to promote its safety and regulation.

Space Projects That Will Transform Space Tourism:

In this edition of SUTUS by Les Roches, groundbreaking projects that will revolutionize the world of space travel were also presented. One of the most captivating projects was the world's first space hotel. Tim Alatorre, an architect, and COO of ABOVE SPACE, revealed, We are on the verge of opening the first space hotel with Earth-facing views for humans to 'rise' to. It's a luxury accommodation with a capacity for 28 people, featuring adjustable gravity to provide comfort and accessibility for its future guests. One of our first space tourists, scheduled for 2025, will be 88 years old.

Sustainable and safe space travel will be possible from 2025 onwards, thanks to the Spanish company HALO Space, which will offer commercial flights to the stratosphere with zero emissions. Carlos Mira, CEO of HALO Space, explained their flagship product: A capsule with a capacity for nine people, allowing passengers to enjoy incredible views of space and Earth's majestic curvature on a journey lasting between 4 and 6 hours.

Ulrich Kuebler, Sales Director for Space Exploration at Airbus, exclusively revealed all the details of the 'StarLab' Commercial Space Station: It will serve as a safe, strategic, and sustainable habitat, making lunar or Martian exploration more efficient.

Guillermo Söhnlein, Co-founder & CEO of Humans 2 Venus, envisions establishing a permanent human colony in Venus's atmosphere by 2050: Establishing human presence in Venus's atmosphere is a long-term goal that could take a century or more. But in the short term, we could build small floating stations in its atmosphere.

John Spencer, founder of the Space Tourism Society in Los Angeles (USA), has also redefined the concept of spacecraft in SUTUS 2023: he has turned it into a sleek cosmic superyacht called 'Destiny'. His vision includes a luxurious, billion-dollar vessel that will cruise through the Earth's orbit, providing its passengers with spectacular views of our planet. Safety is crucial in the space industry, and people are willing to train and take risks to have a transformative experience, Spencer says.

Boris Otter, President and Founder of Swiss Space Tourism, and trained as a cosmonaut in Russia, has launched the SST-6 (Swiss Space Tourism-6) space mission, which will take him and 5 other crew members to cross the Kárman line, located at an altitude of 100 kilometers.

Additionally, young professionals like athlete and astronaut coach Guillermo Rojo, and Sara González de la Torre, a psychology researcher and professor at the University of Cádiz, addressed topics such as resilience, diversity, and high performance in space exploration.

Underwater Projects That Will Revolutionize Travel:

The grandson of the legendary French explorer Jacques Cousteau and Founder & CEO of Proteus Ocean Group, Fabien Cousteau, unveiled the latest details of his 'Ocean Space Station' PROTEUS™: We will have a state-of-the-art live broadcasting production studio, like Hollywood, so that we can reach anyone in the world 24/7 and share with them what is happening in real-time. This immense underwater platform will be submerged in the Caribbean waters off Curaçao, at a depth of 20-25 meters, and scientists and tourists will begin visiting it in 2027.

Another underwater project showcased at this edition of SUTUS by Les Roches was presented by adventurer Karlos Simón, Founder & CEO of Karlos Simón Viajes y Expediciones. Simón explained the exclusive trips offered by his agency, always with him as a companion and instructor. These include extreme diving experiences with 5-meter-long tiger sharks in exclusive locations like the Bahamas.

The Vital Role of Women in Space and Underwater Exploration:

Out of the 46 sessions held in this edition with a total of 37 speakers, the role of women was significant, with 32% of the speakers being women: Belén Pérez Gascón (Costa del Sol), Yolanda de Aguilar (Junta de Andalucía), Ana María Mestre (Parlamento de Andalucía), Eva Villaver (AEE), Pascale Ehrenfreund (ISU), Chiharu Hoshino (JAXA), Lucía F. de la Bella (ESA), Irene Schneider (ISE), Sara González de la Torre (Universidad de Cádiz), Christina Korp, Lola Higueras. This clearly demonstrates that women play a crucial role in the fields of space and underwater exploration.

SUTUS 2023 by Les Roches

All SUTUS by Les Roches conferences can be followed through its virtual platform during the entire year, powered by 'El Observatorio' of Medina Media Events. Attendees can schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers and explore exclusive online demos.

SUTUS 2023 by Les Roches, under the theme "Tourism Beyond Natural Borders," is supported by the Tourism Council of the Andalusian Government, Tourism and Planning of the Costa del Sol, Marbella City Council, the Foundation for Progress and Health of the Regional Department of Health and Consumer Affairs of Andalusia, HALO Space, Marchica Med, ABOVE SPACE, Karlos Simón Viajes y Expediciones, and Alanda Marbella Hotel 5*.

About Les Roches

Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss educational model. With campuses in Switzerland and Spain, and a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution offers its students a unique experience based on cultural diversity. Since 2021, Les Roches has also had an academic partnership with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

Les Roches is among the world's top four higher education institutions in hospitality management (QS World University Rankings, 2023). Part of Sommet Education, a world leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE).

For more information, visit Les Roches.

Anouck Weiss
Chief Communication Officer, Sommet Education
Les Roches

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