The results of a new survey, conducted by leading travel insurance provider Global Rescue, demonstrate how far travelers' COVID-19 fears have fallen in comparison to other concerns.
The 'Global Rescue Fall 2022 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey' revealed that COVID is actually far from their greatest concern when considering traveling internationally
In fact, participants' anxieties about the virus dropped dramatically (by 39 percent) since the last poll in August 2022, diminishing down to 20 percent, as compared to 33 percent at the end of summer.
"Travel confidence is exploding in a positive direction. Borders are open, TSA data reflects traveler volumes pushing past pre-pandemic levels for the first time in more than two years, and travel spending is at its highest since the pandemic started," Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, said in a statement.
At present, one-third (33 percent) of travelers identified their biggest trip-related fear would be suffering some sort of injury or non-COVID illness while abroad. This worry was trailed by concerns over possible trip cancellation (13 percent), civil unrest (11 percent), being robbed (five percent), natural disasters (three percent) and nuclear attack (less than one percent).
As evidenced by the findings, today's travelers are more apprehensive about the escalation or start of a war, or other threats of military action in their destination countries than the spread of COVID. With the number and severity of storms, like hurricanes and blizzards, rising in recent years, travelers also increasingly fear that these and other such natural disasters might impact their trips.
Both of these factors have made travelers more likely to obtain trip protection and security services. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year, over one-third of experienced travelers surveyed began buying evacuation protection plans, Global Rescue reported. With the war still raging nearly a year later, more than half of pollees indicated that they're "more likely" or "much more likely" to obtain travel security services.
"Travel uncertainty generally increases traveler demand for emergency medical and security services," said Richards. "Between the war and the pandemic, travelers want medical and emergency response services more than ever."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.
Topics From This Article to Explore
