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(Lebanon, NH – October 26, 2026) Nearly half of the world’s most experienced international travelers say they sometimes or always downplay or avoid revealing their nationality while abroad because of how they might be perceived or treated, according to the Global Rescue Fall 2026 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.

Overall, 44% of respondents say they conceal or deemphasize their nationality at least sometimes when traveling internationally. That figure combines the 10% who say they do so all or most of the time with the 34% who say they do so sometimes. Another 38% say they do not usually conceal their nationality and 16% say they never do.

“Personal security abroad is influenced by more than the destination itself,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies. “Travelers are also considering how their nationality may affect the way they are perceived once they arrive. Political tensions, military conflicts and public sentiment can change that calculation quickly.”

US Travelers Far More Likely to Downplay Nationality

The sharpest distinction is between US and non-US respondents. Half of US respondents say they downplay or avoid revealing their nationality at least sometimes while traveling internationally. Twelve percent say they do so all or most of the time and 38% say they do so sometimes.

Among non-US respondents, only 21% report doing the same, including 3% who conceal their nationality all or most of the time and 18% who do so sometimes. That makes US respondents roughly 2.5 times more likely than non-US respondents to say they downplay their nationality at least sometimes because of how they might be perceived or treated.

“The difference between US and non-US travelers is significant,” Richards said. “It suggests Americans are much more conscious of how their nationality may be received abroad. That does not mean travelers should expect hostility. It means understanding the political and social environment is increasingly part of responsible trip preparation.”

Women More Likely Than Men to Conceal Nationality

Gender differences also emerged. Half of women say they downplay or avoid revealing their nationality at least sometimes, compared with 42% of men. Among women, 13% say they do so all or most of the time and 37% say sometimes. Among men, 9% say all or most of the time and 33% say sometimes.

Men are more likely to say they do not usually conceal their nationality, 40% compared with 34% of women. Seventeen percent of men say they never do so compared with 14% of women.

Nationality Is Becoming Part of the Personal Safety Calculation

International travelers routinely consider crime, political instability, health risks and local laws when evaluating a destination. The survey suggests many are also considering how their country of origin could affect their personal safety or interactions abroad.

“Situational awareness includes understanding how you may be perceived in the environment around you,” Richards said. “Travelers should know what is happening locally, understand whether international tensions could affect them and avoid unnecessarily drawing attention to themselves when conditions warrant greater discretion.”

Travelers should review government advisories, monitor destination intelligence and understand local political and social sensitivities before departure. Conditions can change rapidly during demonstrations, elections, military conflicts or diplomatic disputes, even in destinations where tourism continues normally.

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed the world's most experienced international travelers between October 6 – 10, 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.

(Lebanon, NH – October 14, 2026) Travel Weekly awarded Global Rescue a 2026 Gold Magellan Award in the Travel Services - Overall Service category. Global Rescue, the world's leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services, earned the recognition for its entry, “When Every Second Counts: The Global Rescue Standard of Traveler Protection.”

The winning entry highlighted more than two decades of service, integrated medical and security response capabilities and a commitment to providing immediate, expert assistance when travelers face emergencies far from home.

“Our mission has always been simple: when members need help anywhere in the world, we answer with experienced people who can take action immediately. Traveler protection isn't about reimbursement after the fact, it's about being there when every minute matters,” said Dan Richards, founder and CEO of Global Rescue. In 2025, Global Rescue operations center professionals answered more than 40,000 inbound calls. Medical operations increased over 400% from 2021 to 2025, while telemedicine consultations expanded almost tenfold.

“When travelers are in crisis, they don't want automation, they want an experienced professional who can immediately assess the situation and take action. That's why every Global Rescue call is answered 24/7 by trained medical and security personnel empowered to resolve emergencies,” said Jeff Weinstein, senior manager of medical operations at Global Rescue.

Global Rescue's emergency response experience includes high-altitude rescues in the Himalayas, wilderness evacuations in Canada, security extractions from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, emergency medical airlifts from Fiji and Bolivia and humanitarian security operations for virtually every significant natural disaster of the last two decades.

Since its founding in 2004, Global Rescue has completed more than 25,000 medical and security operations worldwide and protected more than one million travelers. The company responds to more than 100,000 requests for assistance annually. Its integrated operations team includes physicians, nurses, paramedics, intelligence analysts, security specialists and military special operations veterans available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Global Rescue provides direct intervention during emergencies, including field rescue, medical evacuation, security extraction, medical advisory and crisis response coordination. Its integrated teams coordinate assistance from the first request for help through case resolution.

“Year after year, the Magellan Awards showcase the very best of travel industry creativity and innovation,” said Johanna Jainchill, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly. “Yet each year brings something new — fresh ideas, bold execution and work that challenges our expectations of what great travel marketing can be.”

The Travel Weekly Magellan Awards honor outstanding design, marketing and services across the travel industry. Entries are evaluated by a panel of accomplished travel industry professionals against a standard of excellence rather than in competition with one another.

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. The company has supported its clients—including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions—during every globally significant crisis of the past two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.

About Travel Weekly

Travel Weekly is the most influential provider of news, research, opinion and analysis to the North American travel trade marketplace. It reaches a broad industry audience in print, online and with face-to-face events throughout the year. Travel Weekly is a part of Northstar Travel Group, the leading B-to-B media company providing information and marketing solutions for the global travel industry. Northstar Travel Group is based in Rutherford, NJ and more information is available at northstartravelgroup.com. Pasted markdown

(Lebanon, NH – September 29, 2026) More than one-third of experienced international travelers (36%) say they are most likely to plan their next international trip around a secluded destination for rest and relaxation, making it the clear leading travel preference, according to the latest Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. Another 16% are most likely to choose destinations offering exceptional value because of favorable exchange rates, while 12% say major concerts, sporting events or natural phenomena are most likely to shape their travel plans.

"Experienced international travelers haven't stopped traveling despite the first half of 2026 recording the most severe and widespread disruption to international flights since the pandemic, instead they've become smarter about how they travel," said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce. "They're choosing destinations that help them recharge while recognizing that flexibility and preparation have become essential parts of every international itinerary."

The survey findings come as airline disruptions remain a reality for many international travelers. Nearly two in five respondents (39%) report experiencing at least one significant flight disruption, including a delay of more than three hours, a cancellation or a missed connection, during the past year.

Flight Delays Remain a Concern, But Not a Crisis

While airline disruptions remain common, the survey suggests experienced travelers have become more accepting of the realities of international air travel.

Just over half of respondents (52%) say they are either somewhat worried (35%) or slightly worried (29%) about flight delays or cancellations affecting their international travel plans this year. Another 17% say they are very or extremely worried, while 19% report no concern at all.

Non-US travelers express higher levels of concern than US-based travelers. More than one-quarter (26%) say they are very or extremely worried about flight disruptions compared with 16% of US travelers. US respondents, meanwhile, are more likely to describe themselves as somewhat worried (36% versus 29%), suggesting concern without significant anxiety. Non-US travelers are also slightly less likely to say they are not worried at all (15% versus 20%).

"The most seasoned travelers understand that disruptions have become part of international travel," Richards said. "They build flexibility into their itineraries, avoid overly tight flight connections and prepare backup options before they leave home. Planning for disruptions is now just as important as planning the destination."

Travelers Adapt to Airline Disruptions While Planning Meaningful Trips

Despite increased international flight unreliability, travelers remain focused on where they want to go rather than the challenges of getting there. A secluded destination for rest and relaxation is the leading inspiration for future international travel among both US-based (36%) and non-US-based (38%) travelers.

Destinations offering favorable exchange rates rank second among defined travel motivations, with 16% of travelers saying exceptional value will influence their plans. Non-US travelers are somewhat more likely than US travelers to prioritize exchange-rate advantages (18% versus 15%).

Non-US travelers also show greater interest in shorter, event-driven travel. Sixteen percent say they are likely to plan an international "micro-cation," compared with 9% of US travelers. The same percentage (16%) would plan travel around a major concert, sporting event or natural phenomenon, versus 11% of US respondents.

"Experienced travelers understand that flight disruptions are an inconvenience, not necessarily a reason to stay home," Richards said. "They've learned to build flexibility into their itineraries and focus on the experiences that make international travel worthwhile. The destination still outweighs the disruption."

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed the world's most experienced international travelers between June 30 – July 6, 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.

(Lebanon, NH – September 21, 2026) — Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a mainstream travel planning tool in just three months, but experienced international travelers remain unwilling to let AI take control of their trips or accept its recommendations without verification, according to the latest Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.

The survey found that 51% of travelers now expect to use AI in some capacity when planning international travel, 31% to narrow travel options and another 20% primarily for inspiration. That's a sharp increase from March, when only 36% expected to use AI for travel planning.

At the same time, the percentage of travelers who say they will not use AI at all has fallen dramatically, dropping from 36% in March to 26% today.

"The adoption curve has accelerated remarkably," said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce. "In only three months, AI has moved from an emerging planning tool to something that a majority of experienced international travelers expect to use. But increased use should not be confused with increased trust. Travelers are embracing AI as an assistant, not an authority."

Unlike earlier in the year, when AI users primarily viewed the technology as a way to narrow choices, today's travelers are also turning to it for trip inspiration. Non-US-based travelers lead that trend, with 31% saying they will use AI mainly for inspiration compared with just 16% of US-based travelers.

US-based travelers, meanwhile, continue to be somewhat more likely to use AI as a decision-support tool to narrow travel options (32% versus 27%), although the gap has narrowed considerably since March, when US travelers were more than twice as likely as non-US travelers to use AI in that way (24% versus 11%).

The role of human advice also shifted significantly. In March, non-US travelers were considerably more likely than US travelers to rely primarily on human recommendations (31% versus 22%). Today, that relationship has reversed. Twenty-six percent of US-based travelers now say they rely mostly on human recommendations compared with only 15% of non-US-based travelers.

Despite growing acceptance of AI, trust remains carefully qualified.

Nearly 60% of travelers said they trust AI-generated travel information only after verifying it through other sources. Just 6% mostly trust AI without verification, and no respondent said they completely trust AI-generated information. One-quarter (25%) said they do not trust AI-generated travel information at all.

The survey also suggests travelers' caution is grounded in experience. More than one-quarter (27%) said they have encountered incorrect or outdated AI-generated travel information. Nearly one-quarter (24%) caught the mistake before traveling, while 3% said inaccurate AI information affected their travel plans.

"The data show travelers are learning how to work with AI rather than relying on it blindly," Richards said. "They're verifying recommendations, checking sources and applying their own judgment. That's exactly the right approach for international travel, where outdated visa rules, incorrect entry requirements or inaccurate safety information can have real consequences."

Travelers also remain unwilling to delegate travel decisions to artificial intelligence.

More than six in ten (61%) said they would not allow an AI assistant to automatically make travel-related decisions such as rebooking flights or changing itineraries. Only 11% would allow AI to act with their approval, while 20% said it would depend on the circumstances. Not a single respondent said they would allow AI to make travel decisions without human approval.

"Experienced travelers have drawn a clear line," Richards said. "AI can suggest destinations, compare itineraries and summarize information, but people still want the final say. International travel requires judgment, context and the ability to respond when conditions change—qualities that travelers continue to reserve for themselves."

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed the world's most experienced international travelers between June 30 – July 9, 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.