NEWS

(Lebanon, N.H – March 17, 2026) – Despite widespread awareness of health risks tied to certain foods and tap water abroad, many travelers continue to engage in behaviors that increase the likelihood of illness, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2026 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. The findings reveal meaningful differences by gender and residency, with men and non-US survey respondents generally more willing to trust local conditions than women and US survey-takers.

Tap water exposure remains one of the most common risk areas. Overall, 44% of travelers say they are most likely to brush their teeth with tap water in a foreign country, making it the most common accidental exposure. Another 30% report drinking beverages with ice added, while 9% say they consume drinks diluted with local water such as juice or cocktails. Smaller shares report rinsing their mouth in the shower (6%) or drinking a glass of tap water directly (2%).

US-based respondents and non-US respondents show distinct patterns. Half of non-US respondents say they brush their teeth with tap water, compared with 43% of US travelers. US travelers are more likely to consume drinks with ice (33%) than non-US travelers (20%). Men are significantly more likely than women to brush their teeth with tap water, at 56% versus 40%, while women are more likely than men to drink beverages with ice made from tap water (36% compared with 15%).

“Water safety boils down to the local area where travelers are staying,” warns Jeff Weinstein, a paramedic and medical operations manager for Global Rescue. “Assumptions about water quality can vary widely from place to place, even within the same country.”

Food-related trust presents similar risk tolerance. Nearly half of all travelers, 49%, say they trust freshly cooked hot food from a street vendor the most when faced with risky food choices during travel. All other options trail far behind, including street-vended fruits or snacks (7%), fresh salads or leafy greens (6%), and food purchased during peak crowds or festivals (6%). Sushi or ceviche, runny or soft-cooked eggs and buffet foods with unclear temperature control each draw trust from fewer than 5% of respondents.

Non-US travelers are more trusting of street food overall, with 53% selecting freshly cooked hot food from a street vendor compared with 49% of US travelers. Non-US respondents are also more likely to trust fresh salads or leafy greens, 11% versus 5% among US travelers. Men and women show similar levels of trust in street-vended hot food, but women (10%) are more likely to trust food purchased during peak crowds or festivals compared to men (6%).

“When you travel to a place that’s new to you, there are a lot of germs your body is not used to,” Weinstein said. “Something like traveler’s diarrhea or a really bad case of food poisoning can become an emergency.”

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, said the findings underscore a persistent gap between knowledge and behavior. “Most travelers understand, in theory, that food and water safety matters, but convenience and familiarity often override caution,” Richards said. “These results show why pre-travel medical and risk guidance remains critical, especially for travelers heading to regions with different sanitation standards.”

Richards added that differences between men and women, and between US and non-US travelers, point to varying risk perceptions. “Men and non-US travelers tend to accept higher levels of risk, while women and US travelers are generally more cautious, but no group is immune from making risky choices when traveling,” he said.

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed more than 1,400 current and former members between January 13 - 17, 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 – March 14, 2026 – Global Rescue has deployed security experts in the Middle East region to assist international travelers stranded by widespread airspace closures and escalating regional hostilities. The deployments come as ongoing US and Israeli combat operations against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes continue to destabilize the region and disrupt global travel networks.

Global Rescue security teams are operating in coordination with numerous public and private security resources across the region to assist individuals, assess ground conditions and facilitate ground, air and sea evacuations when safe options become available.

“Our security teams are working in a highly dynamic operational environment to relocate travelers from high-risk areas when safe corridors become available,” said Fernando Lopez Medina, security operations supervisor at Global Rescue and a former US Army Special Forces Green Beret. “These operations require close coordination with regional partners, secure transportation resources and constant reassessment of the threat environment to ensure movements are conducted safely.”

Global Rescue deployed personnel are coordinating with a network of aviation, logistics and security partners across the region to assist travelers affected by airport closures and disrupted flight schedules. However, officials emphasize that in many locations sheltering in place remains the safest immediate option.

“In active conflict environments where missile and drone activity continues, unnecessary movement can expose travelers to greater risk,” Medina said. “Our teams evaluate conditions continuously and execute evacuation or relocation plans only when the security environment allows it.”

The conflict has severely disrupted global aviation routes. Airports in the region are operating under limited or irregular conditions. “Travel to or through the Middle East right now carries elevated and unpredictable risk,” said Kent Webber, senior manager of Intelligence Services at Global Rescue and former Senior Intelligence Operations Officer in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence at the United States Pentagon. “Our intelligence teams are continuously gathering and analyzing information from multiple sources across the region to provide members with real-time threat assessments and operational guidance as conditions change.”

“These disruptions are cascading well beyond the Middle East and affecting international flight networks globally,” Webber said. “Travelers transiting the region for Europe, Asia or Africa may encounter extensive delays, rerouting and cancellations.”

Global Rescue maintains operations centers around the world providing continuous 24/7/365 monitoring, intelligence gathering and operational coordination for members and enterprise clients. The organization also maintains a network of nearly 4,000 operational assets in more than 150 countries, including medical and security teams, medical facilities and logistics support centers that support response operations worldwide.

“With rapidly shifting threats and restricted airspace across multiple countries, our teams have leveraged every available capability to assist travelers caught in the crisis,” 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 US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce.

“Our mission is to protect our members wherever they are in the world,” Richards said. “Through our global operations centers, intelligence analysts and deployed security teams, we are coordinating complex response efforts to help people navigate this extremely volatile environment.”

Global Rescue continues to advise travelers to postpone non-essential travel to the Middle East until the security situation stabilizes and commercial aviation operations normalize.

Due to the sensitive nature of security operations in active conflict zones, Global Rescue does not disclose operational details or the identities of individuals receiving assistance.

Contact:  Bill McIntyre | bmcintyre@globalrescue.com | +1 (202) 560-1195. 

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 has supported clients through every major global crisis over the past two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com. 

(Lebanon, N.H – March 12, 2026) – Most travelers say they generally feel safe traveling alone, but a significant portion still modify their behavior and avoid certain destinations due to security concerns, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2026 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. Mexico and the Middle East are the most frequently cited destinations travelers avoid due to safety concerns.

Overall, 67% of travelers say they usually feel safe traveling solo in most destinations. Another 19% say they sometimes feel safe, while 6% say they rarely feel safe and 6% say they do not feel safe traveling alone. These findings highlight a prevailing sense of confidence among solo travelers, tempered by persistent underlying risk awareness.

Clear differences emerge between US and non-US travelers. Nearly three-quarters (76%) of US travelers say they usually feel safe traveling alone, compared to 46% of non-US travelers. In contrast, non-US respondents are far more likely to express uncertainty, with 31% saying they sometimes feel safe and 11% saying they rarely feel safe. Nearly 9% of non-US travelers say they do not feel safe traveling solo at all, compared to 5% of US travelers.

“Travelers may feel confident overall, but that confidence is not universal and it varies significantly by region,” 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. “Non-US travelers, in particular, appear more cautious and less assured when navigating destinations alone.”

That caution is reflected in the safety measures travelers adopt. The most common precaution taken when traveling alone is remaining aware of surroundings at all times, cited by 81% of respondents. Dressing conservatively to blend in follows at 57%, while 45% say they hire reputable drivers or taxis. One-third select lodging with 24-hour security or staffed lobbies, and 23% prioritize hotels with elevator key card access. Only 5% report taking no safety precautions at all.

Non-US travelers consistently report higher use of layered safety measures. Compared to US travelers, they are more likely to choose hotels with elevator key card access, carry portable door locks and stoppers, use personal alarms and rely on staffed lodging. They are also more likely to report constant situational awareness while traveling alone.

Safety concerns are also influencing where travelers choose not to go. Overall, 51% of travelers say they have avoided certain countries due to safety concerns when traveling alone. Among non-US travelers, avoidance rises sharply to 64%, compared to 47% of US travelers. “These behaviors show that travelers are not ignoring risk — they are actively managing it,” Richards said. “Avoiding destinations, selecting secure lodging and adjusting daily habits are all part of a broader effort to reduce exposure and maintain personal safety.”

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed more than 1,400 current and former members between January 13 - 17, 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 – March 6, 2026) – Growing concerns about safety, instability and unpredictability in international travel are driving a significant increase in Global Rescue security membership purchases in early 2026. From January 1 through March 5, security + travel membership purchases increased 29% compared to the same period in 2025.

The surge reflects a broader shift in traveler behavior as individuals seek professional security support and crisis response capabilities before traveling internationally. The purchasing trend aligns with findings from the Global Rescue Winter 2026 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, which shows that most travelers expect international travel in 2026 to be more dangerous or increasingly unpredictable compared to pre-2020 conditions.

According to the survey, 38% of travelers say international travel danger in 2026 will be unpredictable and 36% believe it will be more dangerous. Only 1% believe international travel will be less dangerous.

“Travelers are clearly signaling that uncertainty and instability are influencing how they plan international trips,” 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. “More people want professional support behind them before they travel — access to intelligence, crisis response teams and the ability to get help quickly if conditions deteriorate.”

“These perceptions are shaping behavior,” Richards said. “Travelers are not necessarily staying home, but they are becoming more deliberate about preparation and risk management. Security memberships provide a safety net that gives travelers direct access to experienced security professionals when situations become volatile.”

Global Rescue’s Security Membership includes:

• 24/7 access to teams of military special operations veterans and intelligence experts
• Real-time alerts and destination-specific security advisories
• Emergency response and extraction services during conflict, civil unrest and security crises

“Travelers are seeing increasing headlines about conflict, political instability and security threats in multiple regions,” Richards said. “In that environment, having a professional crisis response capability is becoming an essential part of international travel planning.”

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue surveyed more than 1,300 current and former members between January 13–17, 2026. Respondents shared their attitudes, behaviors and preferences related to travel safety, technology and global mobility.

About Global Rescue

The Global Rescue Companies are 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 two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.