A majority of travelers expect international travel to be more unpredictable or more dangerous this year, according to the results of a new Global Rescue traveler sentiment survey.
The travel risk and crisis response provider’s survey, conducted in mid-January, asked over 1,300 former and current members for their thoughts about the year ahead.
The survey results found that 38 percent of travelers think international travel will be unpredictable this year—and 36 percent believe it will be more dangerous.
Only 21 percent of travelers say it will be neither more nor less dangerous than travel before 2020.
“Travelers are signaling that uncertainty, not just risk, is shaping their decisions,” 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. “Unpredictability is now viewed as the defining feature of international travel, and that has serious implications for preparedness and resilience.”
While women are more likely to consider travel more unpredictable this year than men (at a difference of 49 percent of women compared to 38 percent of men), men are more likely to view it as more dangerous this year (38 percent versus 30 percent). Men are also more likely to view it as unchanged from before the pandemic, with just over a quarter of male respondents not noticing any significant changes, compared to just 19 percent of women.
Nearly half of non-US respondents say that international travel will be more unpredictable this year, compared to 34 percent of US-based respondents. However, US-based respondents believe travel will be more dangerous for them, with 38 percent expressing concern, compared to 33 percent among non-US respondents.
Women remain more concerned about personal security while traveling abroad, however. While 82 percent of total respondents expressed some level of concern while traveling internationally, women rated higher for concern surrounding things like kidnapping and extortion.
Current conflicts and the political climate affect travelers, too. Nearly 67 percent say they are avoiding traveling to Israel and neighboring states, with only 5 percent saying they would travel as planned despite current risks.
A quarter of respondents said they would avoid traveling to Mexico, while 36 percent said they would only visit specific areas with precautions. Another 23 percent said they wouldn’t travel to Mexico regardless of security concerns.
Respondents were asked to rate their confidence in overall international travel safety on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest level of confidence and 10 being extreme concern about personal safety. Most respondents rated their unease as moderate, 3 to 3.5 out of 10.
“Travel in 2026 will reward preparation,” Richards said. “Those who understand the risks, plan accordingly and secure professional support will be best positioned to travel safely in an unpredictable world.”
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
