You’d think the sight of molten lava cascading down a mountainside, or the ground lurching under your feet like an ill-tempered camel, might encourage a spot of caution among the globe-trotting set. Not so, it seems. In 2025, even the occasional tectonic tantrum barely registers on the seasoned traveller’s worry list.
The Global Rescue Summer 2025 Traveller Safety and Sentiment Survey has put numbers to what many in the industry already suspected: quakes and eruptions may ruffle the odd tablecloth, but they don’t dent the appetite for far-flung adventures. In short, the suitcases keep rolling.
Dan Richards is standing in the operations room.
Take the recent earthquake in Santorini. It made the news, rattled the crockery, and sent a few cats under beds — but nearly nine out of ten travellers said it wouldn’t deter them from visiting another spot in an earthquake zone. Mount Etna and Indonesia’s charmingly named Lewotobi Laki Laki both belched their displeasure in recent months, yet most respondents shrugged and checked their boarding passes.
“The data shows that earthquakes and eruptions are not deterring most travellers,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, speaking with the calm assurance of a man who’s clearly seen his share of travel drama. “But for a small group, concerns about environmental risk are real — and they’re choosing destinations more carefully.”
That small group is a curious lot. They’ll avoid Kathmandu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Kyoto, but happily hop off to Vancouver, Auckland, Wellington, or Santiago — all of which could, geologically speaking, give you a lively afternoon. If we needed it, it’s proof that perception often outweighs probability when choosing a holiday spot.
Generational and Gender Divides
Travellers under 35 were more than twice as likely as their older peers to say they were “much less willing” to visit volcano sites (7% versus a more stoic 3%). Perhaps it’s because they’ve spent less time dodging life’s curveballs — or maybe they’ve just watched more disaster films.
And then there’s gender. Women were 44% more likely than men to admit being “a little less willing” to visit volcano sites (17% vs. 11%). The numbers get more interesting when specific cities are mentioned. Nearly twice as many women said they’d avoid Kathmandu (7% vs. 4%), 50% more would skip Manila, and 25% more would give Tokyo and Kyoto a miss compared to men.
The Resilient Majority
Still, the overall mood is clear: most travellers aren’t about to let an occasional geological hiccup dictate their plans. Richards summed it up neatly: “The vast majority of travellers are not letting isolated natural disasters derail their travel plans.”
And why would they? The travel industry thrives on resilience, and so do its customers. Quakes, eruptions, ash clouds… have all come and gone before, and still the departure gates hum with life. Airlines keep flying, hotels keep booking, and tour guides keep waving little flags.
For many, travel is an act of defiance as much as leisure. If the world shifts under your feet, you can just order another drink, take a photo, and post it with a caption about “dancing on the fault line.”
If the 2025 traveller has a motto, it might be this: the earth may rumble, but so will my cocktail shaker — and I intend to be there to enjoy it.
By Sandra Jones
