hop wrote:
Rand Simberg wrote:

It also depends on the definition. There was the Japanese
chain-smoking journalist (what were they thinking?) and Helen Sharman.
Agreed. I have always found it a bit strange that the media defines
"Space tourist" as someone who payed their own way.

If you win a cruise (which is essentially what Sharman did) you are
still a tourist, right ?

The Japanese television network paid $28-million dollars for Tohiro
Akiyama to fly to Mir in 1990.

http://www.astronautix.com/astros/akiyama.htm

Rusty