From Trepidatious to Intrepid: Global Rescue Takes the Travails Out of Travel Anxiety

The more travel rebounds, the more people are exploring remote destinations. Which means they’re likely to go to places that may not have sufficient medical care.

“The closest medical facility isn’t always the right one,” said Dan Stretch, operations manager at Global Rescue. “We get you to the most appropriate hospital for your illness or injury.”

A travel protection membership can transport members to a vetted medical center or their home hospital of choice. It’s the reason why U.S. resident Jacob Dickson joined.

“I no longer am concerned with the quality of health care when traveling,” Dickson said. “I know that Global Rescue will get me to quality medical care in the U.S.”

Your Global Rescue membership, however, isn’t only for emergencies. There might come a time when you have a question about a symptom like a twisted ankle, an upset stomach or even a bug bite. Members call us to get real-time access to doctors, paramedics and nurses who will help sort out the do’s and don’ts based on your unique situation and symptoms.

“Our team of medical professionals includes paramedics, nurses and doctors,” said Michael Lovely, operations supervisor at Global Rescue. “We handle calls for cuts and stomach upsets to more severe illnesses and injuries, like chest pains and serious trauma.”

Available any time, any day, your Global Rescue travel protection membership team will direct you to the best local medical resources around the world, so you’re not left guessing about how to best address your health concerns.

During a trip to Cameroon, a longtime member, Rick Steiner, received a medical advisory phone call from a Global Rescue physician. “I got a food or waterborne illness. It was extremely helpful to properly medicate myself. The doctor called me back 12 hours later to see how I was doing. That’s why I’ve had a Global Rescue membership for at least a decade.”

Diseases and Pandemics

Since the onset of the pandemic, a travel protection membership continues to help members locate appropriate hospitals and testing facilities for infectious diseases. Even in the U.S. One member traveling in the U.S. with his family called on us to help identify local urgent care centers where he and members of his family could be tested for virus antibodies and infection.

“The Global Rescue medical operations team investigated the area, vetted multiple resources and provided the member with the needed information,” said Jeff Weinstein, a paramedic and medical operations supervisor for Global Rescue.

Suzanne Blowers, a member for nearly a decade, chose to join for the peace of mind we provide if medical care or advice is warranted in any situation during international travel. “We used Global Rescue to find medical care since we were positive with COVID-19 and had another underlying disease [that added complexity to treatment],” she said.

Whether it’s a medical evacuation by speedboat for a member who needed emergency eye surgery following a surfing mishap or an air ambulance transport for a member on safari who was attacked by a leopard, it only takes one call, email or in-app message to get in touch with our in-house medical professionals for immediate help.

When David Helland, a Global Rescue member since 2018, called us for the first time he was immediately impressed. “I was talking to somebody who actually knew something. At most companies, the person you talk to doesn’t know what they need to know, and you have to keep going further to get the real help you need,” he said.

Intensifying Wanderlust

Travelers are catching up on trip opportunities lost due to the pandemic, and they’re planning multiple trips this year, according to the summer 2023 Global Rescue Travelers Sentiment and Safety Survey. In fact, half of the world’s most experienced travelers are planning four or more trips in 2023. But travel plans look a bit different than they did pre-pandemic. Today’s travelers are increasingly more interested in exploration and cultural immersion, and less interested in some of the more traditional tourist activities (think surfing instead of sunning on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro).

This growing enthusiasm for places beyond the traditional can mean less accessibility and more risk. Which makes a Global Rescue membership an even more essential item to “pack” for all your trips.

“Travelers are demonstrating a growing desire for authentic experiences in an increasingly globalized and connected world,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies. “While pent-up demand is playing a role in the adventure travel boom, we don’t expect to see it subside anytime soon.”

For nearly 20 years, Global Rescue has answered the needs of travelers at home and abroad without any disruption of service, and we will continue to do so. We expect more than 100,000 calls from members this year and more than 2,000 rescue missions in scores of countries and territories.

Howard Burkart, a member of nine years, puts it best. “It eases me knowing that I have planned for the unexpected. With a Global Rescue membership, nothing is really unexpected.”