New poll shows a majority of Utahns are ready to travel
Apr 5, 2021, 8:55 AM
A new poll shows a majority of Utahns are planning to travel in the near future. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A new poll shows a majority of Utahns are planning to travel in the near future.
New poll sheds light on travel plans
More than 2 in 3 residents are ready to get out of town, according to the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics Poll.
They found 26% of respondents are planning on traveling soon and will leave the state by car. 21% will travel within the state by car, while 20% plan on flying out of state. 19% of respondents indicated they don’t plan on travelling anytime soon.
The findings come as Utah moves past 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered. It’s an important milestone to note, considering local health leaders have been advising residents to get fully vaccinated before travelling beyond state borders.
Additionally, national health leaders and organizations have also been rethinking their travel guidelines. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled back some guidelines for fully vaccinated travelers.
Speaking Friday, Doctor Eddie Stenehjem, with Intermountain Healthcare, urged Utahns to get fully vaccinated before stepping onto a plane.
“The last thing you want to do is come down with COVID-19 on your vacation,” he explained. “Just think of this as travel insurance.”
“Sick of the pandemic”
For those responsible for the poll, the findings are a clear sign that Utahns can see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The overall message here is people are sick of the pandemic,” explains Scott Rasmussen, independent pollster who conducted the survey of 1,000 registered Utah voters in the last week of March.
He notes that while a majority of residents may be tired of COVID-19 restrictions, most people are taking a rather cautious first step when it comes to travelling in the near future. Specifically, 40% of total respondents are only going to travel in state by car or aren’t going to travel at all just yet.
“So it’s not as if everybody’s going out to the airport,” he explains.
