Re: Unless you go round at least once ...
"... you haven't been to 'space'. Fact."
Nope. Fact: You're in space right now, on a planet.
Now getting offworld is relatively easy, staying there is harder.
That said, I think these guys: http://copenhagensuborbitals.com/ are likely to get a paying passenger into 'space' before VG does.
(And it looks like it'll be a romper fudger ride!)