Fall Travel Optimism Lower Now Than in April

The Department of Tourism is making a good show of justifying its receipt of more coronavirus relief than most other South Dakota government agencies by posting covid-19 research updates. (Of course this makes sense; just roll with it.)

SD Tourism’s July 23 update includes this public opinion survey that suggests, for all of the wishful thinking Kristi and Donald keep projecting, the hard reality of a pandemic our elected leaders can’t contain is sinking in among the public:

Back in April, around 50% of folks surveyed (and, sorry, SD Tourism doesn’t make clear if the sample was South Dakota or nationwide) said sure, they’d be traveling come autumn while only 20% expected to be staying home. Fall travel sentiment declined through May, bounced back briefly around Memorial Day, then eroded again right through Mike Pence’s declaration of victory over coronavirus in June. Now the numbers have switched: 41% in this survey don’t expect to be traveling in the fall, while only 34% still think they’ll be hitting the road.

Seeing the coronavirus surge and elected Trumpublicans and their followers Palining out on the biggest national cognitive test of the century, Americans are realizing the pandemic won’t just disappear. And maybe now that they are reading their schools’ inferior reopening plans and the lack of serious support for school improvements from the state, more parents are they’ll be too busy teaching their kids from home again to go on any vacations.