Travelers embrace fast, on-site testing; oppose centralized vaccine data collection

Lebanon, NH – April 26, 2021 – Fear of COVID-19 infection or quarantine as a primary concern among travelers plunged 37% while their confidence to travel has grown significantly since the pandemic was declared more than a year ago, according to the results of Global Rescue’s Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. 78% of respondents are “much less” or “less” concerned about travel safety in 2021 compared to 2020, with 22% answering they are “more” or “much more” concerned.

“Travelers are twice as likely to plan international trips within the next six months as they were in September 2020,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, the leading travel risk, crisis management and response company. “Nearly three-quarters of surveyed travelers have already taken a domestic trip or are planning to take one before July,” he added.

As traveler confidence grows, Richards is encouraging government health officials to develop capabilities to identify, detect and respond to COVID-19 and emerging pathogenic threats. “By leveraging improvements in technology, including tools that detect active infection of COVID-19 and emerging diseases on exhaled breath, we can effectively recover from, and prevent, disease spread while boosting and protecting the travel and hospitality industry,” said Richards, who also serves on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The overwhelming majority of respondents (91%) would submit to fast, on-site COVID-19 testing to check for coronavirus before travel, and 80% said they would pay for the test depending on cost.

Surveyed travelers are closely split in their support for (46%) or against (42%) using vaccine certifications for domestic travel. Approval shifts decisively regarding international trips with 70% of respondents favoring the use of vaccine certificates.

Travelers revealed strong preferences to control their own vaccination and testing data rather than entrusting centralized organizations. 45% of respondents want their proof-of-vaccination and COVID-19 testing results to be maintained by the individual, and presented as necessary. Another 16% do not want the data collected at all.

“Government officials must take a leadership role in recommending secure technology standards where users, rather than centralized organizations, store and control data used for vaccine, previous infection and testing verification for COVID-19 and future disease outbreaks,” Richards said.

The pandemic is leading travelers to modify their trip plans in a number of ways. A majority of travelers (54%) indicated they would avoid crowded destination and places with insufficient medical facilities (22%) as the leading reasons preventing them from visiting an area.

Respondents said the most important travel protection service today is medical evacuation from the point of illness or injury (49%) followed by Cancel For Any Reason trip insurance to protect against financial loss from last minute trip cancellation or disruption (21%).

 

Contact Bill McIntyre at bmcintyre@globalrescue.com or 202.560.1195 (phone/text) for more information.

 

About the Global Rescue Traveler Survey 

Global Rescue, a leading travel risk and crisis response provider, conducted a survey of more than 1,700 of its current and former members between Apr. 21-26, 2021. The respondents revealed a range of preferences for travel expectations, behaviors and safety concern in anticipation of a return to leisure and business trips domestically and internationally. 

 

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. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last decade. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.