Global Rescue, a travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed more than 1,300 current and former members between January 21-27 on a variety of behaviors, attitudes and preferences regarding current and future travel.
More than a third (37%) of the world’s most experienced travelers identified illness or injury as their most concerning disruption during international travel, marking an attitudinal shift from a year ago when civil unrest and terrorism were the leading concerns, according to Global Rescue Winter 2025 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. Civil unrest or terrorism (20%) was reported as the second biggest traveler concern followed by losing a passport, credit cards, or wallet (14%) and trip cancellations (7%).
Regarding travel risks and the broader potential issues during a trip, nearly a quarter of respondents (23%) cited geopolitical instability and conflicts as their primary concern. Petty crime and personal safety threats were identified as the next biggest travel risk, followed by targeted attacks (20%) and economic instability or rising travel costs (13%).
Reflecting these concerns, travelers are increasingly considering security extraction services for their trips. The survey revealed that 24% of respondents already have security extraction service protection for their 2025 travels, while 17% plan to obtain such services. However, 21% do not have, nor plan to acquire, security extraction services, and 31% remain undecided.
“Travelers face distinct challenges; understanding them allows travelers to prepare for the challenges they might face, whether through contingency planning or risk mitigation strategies,” said Dan Richards, CEO of the Global Rescue Companies, the world’s 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.
