Walt Meyer is afraid of getting sick when he travels. Too many people aren’t taking COVID-19 seriously, he says.

He’d travel again this year if he could be sure that his fellow passengers were virus-free.

“If they could require everyone to arrive an hour early, get tested, then wait for test results before boarding a flight or entering a resort, it would eliminate some of the risks,” says Meyer, an author and professional speaker from San Diego.

His fears are justified, say experts. COVID-19 will be the number-one travel concern of 2021, particularly during the first half of the year. But there are other concerns. The question is: What should travelers be afraid of?

A recent poll by Travelex Insurance identified the top two travel fears: Getting stuck in another country and catching coronavirus. Travel professionals are trying to help. One solution: Offering a pledge to customers like the one Travel Leaders introduced late last year. Its Book With Confidence program helps its agents advise clients about where, when and how to travel.

“We want to tell them who is open and the protocols that are in place,” says John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group. 

What should travelers not be afraid of? The list includes everything from flying to the financial stability of your travel company. And what should you fear? Getting stuck abroad, finding adequate medical care – and, of course, the unknown.

“But there are steps travelers can take to help alleviate these fears,” says Christine Buggy, vice president of marketing at Travelex.

Here’s what travelers are afraid of but shouldn’t be:

Fear: Flying

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