Terror attacks fail to change plans for vacation, poll finds

By Will Lester
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Three-fourths of Americans say the threat of terrorism has not affected their summer vacation plans, and they expect to spend at least as much on vacations as last year, according to an Associated Press poll.

Eight stressful months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the poll suggests that Americans appear very much in the mood to get away to a summer vacation.

And in a finding that could provide a bit of a boost for Hawai'i's sluggish tourism industry, respondents said the beach is the most popular destination for their summer travel plans.

After the beach, the next-most popular destinations are the mountains, a major city and a theme park, according to the poll conducted for the AP by ICR of Media, Pa. The poll of 1,000 was taken May 10-14 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Three in 10 of those polled said they wanted to visit some combination of those destinations.

A third of those interviewed said they plan to visit a state or national park.

Those who planned to visit a park were more likely to be younger and male and to have more education.

Six in 10 said their primary mode of transportation would be by car, and just over a fourth said by plane.

Other responses were scattered among bus, train, cruise or not taking a vacation.

The experiences of the last year haven't discouraged 67-year-old retiree Louis Tannich of Waldorf, Md., from taking vacations of all sorts.

"I retired to travel whenever an interesting trip came by," said Tannich, who is retired from the Navy. "And I intend to do that."

• • •