Call it defiance or acceptance, the world’s most experienced travellers are returning to international travel despite a war in Eastern Europe, threats of new COVID variants, and lingering fears following two years of pandemic-related restrictions, according to the Global Rescue Spring 2022 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey.
“Now more than ever, people want to travel. Many (27%) travellers expect to spend extra time or more money – or both – on upcoming vacations to compensate for the two-year pandemic-induced travel moratorium,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, a 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.
“Travellers see the best window for international travel is now. They’re not going to miss it despite government policy hurdles, remaining coronavirus fears or military conflict in Eastern Europe,” Richards said.
An overwhelming majority (84%) of travellers are less or much less concerned about travel today compared to the beginning of the pandemic, according to the recent survey of more than 1,200 current and former Global Rescue members.
More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents say the threat of a new COVID variant is not likely or not likely at all going to make them cancel or postpone international travel this year. Nearly the same percentage (71%) of travellers report they are somewhat or not concerned about international travel since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Experts predict international travel will meet, and possibly exceed, pre-pandemic levels in 2022. “People are going to travel in record numbers this year,” Richards said referring to the World Travel & Tourism Council travel projections.
Many are already travelling abroad, according to the survey. More than half of the respondents (56%) have travelled internationally since the pandemic, a 33% increase compared to six months ago. Sixteen percent expect to travel internationally by the end of June, and another 16% plan to travel abroad by the end of the year.
Travellers who cruise reflected a major swing in their comfort levels. Last summer, 74% of respondents reported they did not feel safe on a cruise compared to only 10% today who say they would not feel safe on a cruise, reflecting a seven-fold decrease in cruise ship fears.
The survey results show that in 2022:
76% of travellers are planning outdoor activities and adventure trips
44% are scheduling relaxation vacations
33% are preparing for reunions with family and friends
18% are looking forward to educational/learning trips
12% are anticipating trips for weddings, honeymoons, and anniversaries
8% are planning cuisine-based travel
2% are organizing genealogical/ancestral research travel.