Survey Says: Most Travelers Would Adhere to Screening, Testing and Disclosing Medical Conditions in Order to Resume Travel

Travel risk and crisis response provider Global Rescue conducted a survey revealing many members will tolerate and adapt to a variety of precautionary measures in order to resume leisure and business trips.

The survey revealed would-be travelers are willing to take several safety measures (as a condition of restarting travel) to reduce risk of renewed spread of coronavirus.

“Many travelers are planning to hit the road again this summer and they are willing to share personal medical history and travel plans to help keep themselves and those around them safe,” said Dan Richards, CEO, Global Rescue.

The survey, based on 1,300 responses from Global Rescue members (conducted April 23–24), revealed the following data:

Safety Measure Tolerance

• 91 percent willing to subject themselves to screening and testing
• 73 percent willing to disclose medical conditions related to a compromised immune system
• 93 percent willing to share past 14-day travel history
• 58 percent willing to have their physical location tracked and traced, with data temporarily retained

Travel Expectations

The survey revealed most travelers have high expectations to begin planning trips no later than early fall.

• 77 percent expecting to make a trip by the end of October
• 41 percent expect to make their next trip by July or earlier
• 36 percent planning their initial trip sometime between August and October
• Less than 9 percent believe their earliest post-pandemic trip will be during the months of November and December
• Less than 7 percent expect to make their first trip between January and March 2021
• 7 percent predict their next trip won’t be until sometime after April 2021

Well-traveled respondents also stated their first trips will be domestic, by a two-to-one margin over international excursions. Of these first trips, nearly 75 percent will be for family vacations, leisure trips (visiting friends) or destination-centric getaways.

Fewer than 10 percent expect their first trips to be business, while 15 percent claim initial travel plans will be for both business and pleasure.

More than 42 percent of respondents were forced to cancel travel plans; another 16 percent stated they voluntarily canceled trips, while 27 percent postponed their trips. Nearly 60 percent of those who canceled or postponed plans expect to rebook as soon as they feel safe. Thirteen percent say they will take advantage of travel discounts while booking a trip, but less than 1.5 percent plan to put their money elsewhere, unrelated to travel.