West No Longer the Best for Tourists

The South is rising again--in this case, displacing the West as the nation’s favorite travel spot, according to a new national survey by New York-based Roper Starch Worldwide.

Thirty-six percent of the 1,996 adults polled said they would “most like to vacation” in the South versus 32% who named the West. In 1988, 41% preferred the West and 30% the South. The South also bested the West this year as the place people would like to live, 34% to 26%; in 1988 the two regions were virtually tied.

“The South is increasingly being perceived in a positive light by people around the country,” noted Roper Starch President Edward B. Keller.