Poll: Safety A Main Concern In Travel Plans

A new survey indicates that tourists who didn't take safety and security into serious account when making travel plans prior to Sept. 11, 2001, have moved such concerns to the fore in the time since those terrorist attacks took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

According to a study commissioned by the Southern California Tourism Safety & Security Assn. and the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau that was conducted by San Diego-based CIC Research, many visitors now say they want a visible security presence in places they visit.

CIC surveyed more than 2,300 visitors to Orange County over a 12-month period. Visitors were asked to rank on a 1 to 10 scale the importance they place on safety and security when selecting a leisure travel destination. The average overall ranking was 8.9 and 55% of the respondents ranked the issue a 10.

International visitors were the most security conscious, giving safety concerns an average score of 9.6 while 63% of respondents ranked the issue a 10.

Asked specifically what role safety and security concerns play in deciding on hotels, amusement parks and attractions, respondents average response was 9.0 and more than half ranked the issue a 10 in both the hotel and amusement park/attractions category.