Page 6 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST
P. 6
RON & MARY’S
EDITOR’SNOTE
THE WAITING GAME
ytheendofFebruary,MaryandIwillbevacci- high.Sowewait.
natedagainstCovid.Finally,withanewadminis- Butthemostsignificantunknownforfuturetravelis
BtrationinWashingtonthathasmadethepandemic thepandemicstatusatourdestinations.Portugaland
prioritynumberone,there’sawelcomenewsenseofur- Spain,andotherpartsofEurope,werehotbedsofCovid
gencytogetshotsinarms.TheBidenadministrationhas earlyinthenewyearandhaveclosedtheirdoorstonon-
orderedmillionsmorevaccinedoses—enoughtoinocu- essentialtravel.WillthesecountriesevenopenuptoUS
late300millionAmericansandtakethenationtoherd visitorsbyspring?
immunity. Wesuspecttheywill.Americantourismdollarsarea
LikemillionsofAmericanswholovetotravel,weare bigincentive.Withtourismaccountingforonein10jobs
playingthewaitinggame.ArecentHarrisPollreported worldwide,governmentsareeagertowelcomevisitors
overtwo-thirdsofrespondents(68%)saytheCOVID-19 assoonasit’ssafebecausethelivelihoodsofmanyof
vaccinewilldeterminewhentheytravelagain.Undoubt- theircitizensdependonit.
edly,thevaccineisagamechangerforworldtravelers MostEuropeancountrieshaveambitiousvaccination
andthemillionsofemployeesinthetravelandhospital- programs,buthaveconfrontedongoingproblemsget-
ityindustries. tingenoughvaccine.Again,webelievemanufacturers
Becauseouragesputusneartheheadofthelinefor willrampupandnewvaccineswillcomeonthemarket
vaccinations,wemadeplansforanextendedthree- inthenextfewmonths.
monthtriptoPortugalandSpain,beginningmid-May. Alongwithmillionsofpeoplegettingvaccinated
Butwehedgedourbetsandmadesurethatallourac- aroundtheworldeveryday,weareoptimisticthatwe
commodationreservationswerecancelable.Andwe’re won’thavetopostponeourtravelplansagain.Butfor
waitinguntilamonthbeforewetraveltomakeairline now,weandtravelerseverywherehavenochoicebutto
reservations.Becausetherearealotofmothballed playthewaitinggame.
planesandfewerscheduledflights,faresarerelatively
Ron & Mary James
Publishers & Editors
6 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021
