Major Shift in Comfort Levels for Cruises 

Lebanon, N.H. – May 9, 2022 – Call it defiance or acceptance, the world’s most experienced travelers are returning to international travel despite a war in Eastern Europe, threats of new COVID variants, and lingering fears following two years of pandemic-related restrictions, according to the Global Rescue Spring 2022 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey.  

“Now more than ever, people want to travel. Many (27%) travelers expect to spend extra time or more money – or both – on upcoming vacations to compensate for the two-year pandemic-induced travel moratorium,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, the 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. 

“Travelers see the best window for international travel is now. They’re not going to miss it despite government policy hurdles, remaining coronavirus fears or military conflict in Eastern Europe,” Richards said. 

An overwhelming majority (84%) of travelers are less or much less concerned about travel today compared to the beginning of the pandemic.  

More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents say the threat of a new COVID variant is not likely or not likely at all going to make them cancel or postpone international travel this year. Nearly the same percentage (71%) of travelers report they are somewhat or not concerned about international travel since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.  

Experts predict international travel will meet, and possibly exceed, pre-pandemic levels in 2022. “People are going to travel in record numbers this year,” Richards said referring to the World Travel & Tourism Council travel projections. 

Many are already traveling abroad, according to the survey. More than half of the respondents (56%) have traveled internationally since the pandemic, a 33% increase compared to six months ago. Sixteen percent expect to travel internationally by the end of June, and another 16% plan to travel abroad by the end of the year.  

Travelers who cruise reflected a major swing in their comfort levels. Last summer, 74% of respondents reported they did not feel safe on a cruise compared to only 10% today who say they would not feel safe on a cruise, reflecting a seven-fold decrease in cruise ship fears.  

The survey results show more than three-quarters of travelers (76%) are planning outdoor activities and adventure trips for 2022. Forty-four percent of travelers are scheduling relaxation vacations, 33% are preparing for reunions with family and friends, 18% are looking forward to educational/learning trips, 12% are anticipating trips for weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries, 8% are planning cuisine-based travel and 2% are organizing genealogical/ancestral research travel. 

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey   

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, conducted a survey of more than 1,200 of its current and former members between April 5 and 9, 2022. The respondents exposed a significant range in travel confidence and international travel activity as well as preferences for international travel policies.  

Contact Bill McIntyre at bmcintyre@globalrescue.com or 202.560.1195 (phone/text) for more information.

About Global Rescue  

Global Rescue is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. Global Rescue provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to client medical and security crises. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.