18% of Americans Tense About Travel, Poll Finds

Still nervous about traveling? You have company. Nearly one out of five travelers said their plans for leisure travel continue to be affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a survey this month by Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown, a marketing and public relations firm that conducts regular travel surveys.

The 18% figure for the survey, taken the week of Jan. 14, is a big drop from the Sept. 12 figure of 37% but only a modest fall from October (27%) and November (22%) figures.

“Travel intentions are clearly improving, but many Americans remain anxious about hitting the road again,” said Peter Yesawich, the company’s president and chief executive. Or should we say taking to the skies? The same survey showed that the top concern cited by reluctant travelers was air safety: 45%, up from 23% in November. (Jan. 14 was also the week in which Richard C. Reid was indicted for allegedly trying to ignite a bomb in his shoe on a plane.)