Study: Travelers No Longer Scared of Catching Covid

A new survey has revealed that travelers are no longer as worried about catching Covid while traveling.

According to the Global Rescue Winter 2023 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey, the fear of Covid-19 has dropped dramatically by 61 percent since August 2022.

The percentage of travelers who are worried about catching Covid has fallen from 33 percent last summer to just 13 percent today, although the virus is still considered a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) and has remained as such since January 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Meanwhile, while the fear of Covid-19 is decreasing, other worries are increasing.

More specifically, travelers are increasingly concerned about civil unrest and terrorism in international destinations. The percentage of travelers  worried about these issues has almost doubled in the past six months, from 8 to 14 percent.

Furthermore, data showed that over a third of travelers (37 percent) are worried about suffering a non-Covid illness or injury.

Other concerns include trip cancellation (12 percent), being robbed (4 percent), natural disasters (3 percent), and nuclear attack (less than 1 percent).

When it comes to traveling internationally, travelers have other concerns that are less severe but still worrying. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of survey respondents said that hotel and lodging safety was the most important concern.

ten percent of travelers worry about car service and taxi safety, while 15 percent want to know if a destination is safe for families to travel.

In addition, 11 percent of travelers want to know if a destination is safe for women to travel, and 10 percent are concerned about needing physical protection. Identity theft and cyber security remain important concerns, with 9 percent of respondents worried about these issues.

Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, commented on the survey’s findings, saying: “Traveler confidence is skyrocketing, and they are mitigating their worries by safeguarding their trips and safety with more protections. Whether it’s flight disruptions, war, natural disaster, or a pandemic, the new normal for travelers includes travel protection for emergency medical services and evacuation”.

The Global Rescue Winter 2023 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey was conducted between January 30 and February 4, 2023, and surveyed over 2,000 current and former Global Rescue members.

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.