WILMINGTON, DE— As the nation reaches the six-month anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many analysts are working to asses the state of the ailing travel industry— specifically have Americans conquered their fear of traveling? SafePlace Corp. and Harris InteractiveSM recently conducted a consumer travel poll to answer this exact question and determine whether hotel safety has become a key factor for travel buyers. The poll found that nearly nine out of 10 travelers consider hotel safety a key factor when deciding where to stay. While surveyed travelers cited the importance of and need for adequate hotel safety, the study also showed that only about 1 out of 5 (22%) actually investigate a facilitys level of safety, primarily because travelers have no idea where to obtain this information. However, 93% said they would be likely to stay in a hotel that was certified as safe versus a non-certified hotel, and more than 78% would be willing to pay more for a hotel that offered this extra measure. In addition, almost half of women considered security items to be the most important safety consideration while men viewed fire safety items as the most important issue (41%). SafePlace Corp. provides information for travelers concerning the security, health and life safety provisions of lodging establishments through an independent accreditation of those facilities. The requirements of SafePlace Accreditation are primarily based upon the fire protection, security, health and life safety provisions of selected nationally recognized codes and standards.
