by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:55 AM ET, Wed February 21, 2024
Far above accidents or injuries, travelers are concerned about civil unrest and terrorism while traveling, according to Global Rescue’s Winter 2024 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.
The survey, which asked over 1,500 current and former Global Rescue members about their travel concerns in late January, revealed that 36 percent of travelers are most concerned with civil unrest and terrorism, a three-fold increase from spring 2023.
One quarter of respondents are most concerned with having an accident or getting sick during their trip, a decrease from the spring 2023 survey, in which 50 percent of travelers reported this as their biggest concern.
Seven to nine percent of travelers reported trip cancellations, robbery or theft were their biggest concerns, while five percent each feared testing positive for COVID-19 and increasing natural disasters.
Additionally, 34 percent of respondents noted that recent global crises such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are more likely to encourage them to purchase extra travel protection that involves security extraction or other conflict-specific protections.
“We’re seeing an understandable increase in traveler concern worldwide. Nevertheless, international trip takers continue to travel anyway despite the rising threats of civil unrest, war, and terrorism,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services, and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“Traveler uncertainty generally increases traveler demand for emergency medical and security services,” Richards said. “Last year, traveler purchases of security and extraction services increased by 36%, and we expect that will continue in 2024. We’ve seen this traveler behavior since the war in Ukraine, and we’re seeing it continue following the attacks on Israel.”
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