Traveler Confidence Rises With International Travel Surge

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:05 PM ET, Wed November 10, 2021

Traveler confidence is on the rise along with the surge in international travel according to the recently released 2021 Fall Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, which surveyed 1,500 current and former members of Global Rescue in late October.

Compared with January 2021, fear of COVID-19 quarantines or infections while traveling internationally declined by 37 percent in the survey, with 42 percent of travelers having already traveled internationally. The number was even greater for those who've traveled domestically, with 86 percent of respondents having traveled within the country during the past year and a half.

"Between April and October, there's been a 74% jump in people taking domestic trips and an enormous 207% increase in individuals traveling internationally," said Dan Richards, the CEO of Global Rescue and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Seventy-three percent of participants reported that they were vaccinated or had recovered from a COVID-19 infection, both of which give them greater confidence in traveling. More than half (53 percent) also said that having a travel insurance plan that includes a medical evacuation is another key travel asset that brings greater peace of mind.

Traveling to more remote and less touristy destinations were also cited by 36 percent of respondents as preferable to larger destinations or cities because it made them feel safer. Canada, Mexico, France, Italy and Spain were the countries most likely to be visited.

On November 8, the U.S. officially reopened to international travelers, heading a travel surge to the country, while October and November both brought changes to the State Department's country-specific travel advisories, the risk levels of travel to Peru, South Korea, France, Iceland, St. Maarten and other countries lowering in their risk levels, growing confidence in travel to these destinations while other countries receive higher risk levels, like the Netherlands and the Cayman Islands.