by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:01 AM ET, Fri March 11, 2022
While the horrifying invasion of Ukraine has impacted everything from global commerce to gas prices here at home and international travel to places like Ukraine and Russia, it's also hitting American travelers in other, perhaps unexpected, ways.
While Europeans are stockpiling iodine in case of nuclear warfare or fallout, Americans are more interested in protecting themselves from human-made disasters and violence while abroad, which they've become much more attuned to after the invasion of Ukraine and the gang-related violence in Cancun earlier in the year and in late 2021.
Global Rescue, the world's leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services, has seen a quick jump in desire for non-medical security evacuation services since the Russian invasion that began in late February. This type of service can protect travelers from attacks, terrorism, natural disasters and civil unrest.
Requests for these plans have jumped 31 percent with Global Rescue since the invasion began, though the organization urges travelers not to panic too much and cancel travel to Europe, even to places close to Ukraine like Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic States.
A recent survey found that 40 percent of Americans were rethinking their European travel plans because of the invasion, with 47 percent choosing to wait and see how the war will play out before finalizing their plans, with 6 percent already choosing to cancel their European vacations and 7 percent likely to do so in the near future.
"Uncertainty in travel generally results in an increase in traveler demand for emergency medical and security services. Between the war and the pandemic, travelers want medical and emergency response services more than ever," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue.
"War is not a tourist attraction. There are plenty of global destinations with no threat of conflict. Travelers should make those locations their vacation spots," said Harding Bush, former Navy SEAL and manager of security operations for Global Rescue.
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