So he says, once he hooks the taxpayers for another measly $100M or so to build him a spaceport. While I think commercial spaceflight is inevitable, desirable, and the real future of space travel, I'm not yet convinced that low Earth orbit tourism for the hyper-rich is going to be a significant factor.
Even if everything Branson has promised is true, though, it doesn't justify buzzing him around at state expense (which he wasn't, here). That's just not a legitimate function of a limited government.
If it's all about the currency of bragging rights--bragging rights lose their currency if there are a lot of braggarts to share them with. It'll jump the shark within a couple of years--this highly uncomfortable enterprise to spend a few seconds a few dozen miles off the surface of the earth.
The prestige of the astronaut depended on two things--the scarcity of the rides and the fact that he didn't have to pay to ride. Those who just pay to ride are going to enjoy a prestige that diminishes quickly.
There are only a few southwestern states who can provide a "spaceport"-- they don't need to pay for the privilege.