In several threads, such as this one on the
Berkshires or this one on the
Rockies, people have given tourism as argument for certain rural areas leaning/swinging Dem.
For me, as a European, this was somehow surprising. At least in Germany, tourism areas tend to vote conservative:
a.) Their economic base is predominantly small business (smaller hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, tourism service providers, craftsmen working in refurbishment/repair, etc.),
b.) They tend to have low rates of college graduates (though you may find quite a number of college drop-outs, e.g. the wind-surfer turned into windsurfing trainer),
c.) They tend to function as pensioners' retreat (not to the extent as is Florida, but still) and/or, in case they are within commuting distance to major cities, as upper middle-class exurbs,
d.) Conflicts between tourism and environmental protection (e.g. kite surfers vs. bird watchers, restriction on expanding housing or ski areas) tend to promote a negative view on environmentalism and may especially keep the Greens from gaining traction.
From an unsystematic scan of European election maps, similar patterns seem to exist in other European countries, e.g. Italy.
Against this background, am interested in the following:
a.) Is it really true that in the US, tourism areas tend to lean Dem, or does that only apply to a certain subset (e.g. inland / sports / eco-tourism)?
b.) If so, what are the underlying factors?
c.) What patterns exist in other European countries, e.g. Denmark, Sweden, UK, France, Italy and Spain?
