Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey Highlights International Travel Surge

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, published the findings of its Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey and found that international travel is surging amongst the most experienced travelers.

The survey asked 1,400 current and former Global Rescue members about their travel plans and sentiments. Nearly half of travelers (at 49 percent) have already taken an international trip. When compared with the sentiment survey from the summer of 2021, that’s an increase of 88 percent, indicating that experienced travelers are much more prepared and are increasingly excited about taking a trip abroad, despite pandemic restrictions.

About 76 percent of travelers reported they’re planning more outdoor travel in the future, a 40 percent increase than 2021’s summer comparison. Most travelers (82 percent) are also thinking of planning longer trips, lasting five or more days. Eighty-five percent of respondents reported having already traveled domestically, too.

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Traveler confidence has increased about 22 percent since the summer of last year, with nine out of ten travelers reporting they are less or much less concerned about travel now, though 52 percent of respondents still reported that COVID-19-related travel issues were their biggest travel fears.

Travelers were most divided when it came down to their sentiments on COVID-19 entry restrictions. Seventeen percent of respondents believe the travel restrictions are too lenient; 44 percent say they are “just right,” while another 38 percent believe current restrictions are either “impossibly strict” or “unnecessarily strict.”

“All signals are pointing to the beginning of the end of international travel restrictions due to the pandemic,” began Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. “Countries like New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and others are opening their borders as severe COVID-19 illnesses and hospitalizations decline, vaccinations increase and testing is more convenient. Domestic travel continues to increase but the big news is that travel abroad is surging.”

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