In an ideal world, a pandemic would transcend politics. Name any issue you can think of — from immigration to the aesthetic value of garden gnomes — and you’ll probably find a political divide. It’s no surprise, then, that the coronavirus crisis is causing a gaping chasm between Democrats and Republicans, and that extends to its impact on tourism. Skift surveyed 528 US citizens — members of both parties, as well as Independents — asking them about their travel plans over the next several months. The results not-so-shockingly showed a disparity in the opinions of Democrats and Republican respondents.
Photo: Elena Stepanova/Shutterstock
New Study Finds Republicans Are Way More Likely to Travel This Summer Than Democrats
Photo: Skift
Photo: Skift
According to the survey, Republicans are more eager and willing to return to travel than Democrats. About 35 percent of Republicans said they are planning to travel over the summer, with at least one overnight stay, compared to just 20 percent of Democrats.
Photo: Skift
When asked if they would take a flight this summer, Democrats expressed more trepidation than their Republican counterparts. Fifty-seven percent said they were “very unlikely” to fly this summer versus just 44 percent of Republicans. In a similar vein, more Democrats also believed that states were reopening too soon. Only 23 percent of Democrats thought states needed to reopen faster while 57 percent of Republicans favored a much quicker reopening.
Photo: Skift
Photo: Skift
In line with the rest of these results, 69 percent of Republicans believed that the government had “done enough” to support the travel industry — perhaps explaining their confidence in booking a flight — compared to just 39 percent of Democrats. 