(Lebanon, NH – May 11, 2026) — Flight cancelations and geopolitical instability have reached near parity as the two most important factors shaping international travel decisions in 2026, according to new Global Rescue survey data. The findings show that travelers are weighing air travel reliability and global risk almost equally, while rising travel costs play a more segmented role depending on the traveler.

According to the Spring 2026 Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, 79% of travelers rate flight cancellations and airline reliability as important or very important, compared to 77% for geopolitical instability, a narrow gap that underscores how closely aligned these concerns have become.

“Travelers are telling us that what disrupts their trip is just as important as what threatens it,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies. “Airline reliability has narrowly overtaken geopolitical instability as the top concern for most travelers, signaling a shift toward practical, experience-driven risk assessment. At the same time, geopolitical instability remains nearly as influential, which shows travelers are balancing both disruption and danger in their decision-making.”

This convergence holds across all segments, with only marginal differences between groups. Among women, 85% rate geopolitical instability as important or very important, nearly identical to the 84% who say the same about flight cancellations. Among men, airline reliability holds a modest edge, with 75% prioritizing it compared to 70% for geopolitical instability, but both factors remain clearly top-tier concerns.

A similar pattern appears geographically, where differences are also minimal. Among US-based respondents, 79% rate airline reliability as important or very important compared to 75% for geopolitical instability. Among non-US-based respondents, the ranking is essentially reversed, with 76% prioritizing geopolitical instability and 75% flight cancellations—effectively demonstrating that both issues carry nearly equal weight regardless of location.

Beyond these two leading concerns, the survey reveals a second tier of factors that influence travel decisions differently depending on the audience. Cost pressures remain significant but clearly secondary, with 57% of travelers overall rating rising airfare as important or very important. That figure climbs to 61% among non-US-based respondents, compared to 52% among US-based respondents, indicating stronger economic sensitivity outside the United States.

Anti-American sentiment abroad falls into a more polarized category. Overall, 50% of travelers rate it as important or very important, but this masks a sharp geographic divide. Among US-based respondents, 58% consider it important or very important, reflecting heightened awareness of how Americans may be perceived overseas. In contrast, just 28% of non-US-based respondents assign it the same level of importance, with a majority placing it in lower-importance categories.

Gender differences also emerge on this issue, though less dramatically than with geopolitical risk. 56% of women rate anti-American sentiment as important or very important compared to 49% of men, suggesting women again exhibit greater sensitivity to perception-based and situational risks.

Taken together, the data shows that international travel planning in 2026 is no longer driven by a single dominant concern but by a combination of equally weighted risks. Operational reliability and geopolitical instability form the core of this framework, while cost and perception-based factors exert more targeted influence depending on who the traveler is.

“The modern traveler is balancing multiple variables simultaneously,” Richards said. “What’s changed is not just what they worry about, but how much weight they assign to each factor—and that balance varies significantly across different groups.”

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About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed more than 1,200 current and former members between April 7 – 13, 2026. Respondents shared their attitudes, behaviors and preferences related to travel safety, technology and global mobility.

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 maintains exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. The company has provided medical and security support during every major global crisis over the past two decades.