Study Finds Americans Feel Safety Is More Important Than Having Fun When Traveling Abroad -- TATE Global Introduces Overseas Travel Safety Services to Empower Travelers

ALEXANDRIA, VA--(Marketwired - Feb 17, 2015) - A recent study commissioned by TATE Global found that Americans feel it's more important to feel safe (80 percent) than to have fun (68 percent) during an international trip. However, less than a third (32 percent) believe they would know what to do if faced with an emergency while traveling abroad. A leading provider of travel risk mitigation services, TATE Global was founded to help overseas travelers prepare for and manage high-risk environments and situations. Through individual and group training, experts from TATE Global work to prepare clients to be self-sufficient and risk aware while traveling. In addition to a full suite of consultative services, TATE Global announced today the release of its ProtecTour mobile application, enabling users to mitigate the many risks associated with navigating an unfamiliar location.

According to the survey, 87 percent of Americans find it important to pack a smartphone on an international journey, and 70 percent of smartphone users already have at least one travel app on their phone. TATE Global's ProtecTour mobile application responds to this trend by utilizing geo-tracking and unclassified human risk intelligence to arm users with localized information and knowledge via smartphones, allowing them to learn, work and play with confidence.

The ProtecTour Mobile Application:

• Monitors traveler's location and threat proximity 24-hours a day
• Issues safety alerts to users based on local threats
• Allows users to communicate directly with TATE Global via an alert trigger
• Delivers directions and contact information for nearby U.S. embassies and consulates, police stations, hospitals where English is spoken, and major transportation hubs
• Provides updates for loved ones and other parties back home on the traveler's location in the event of an emergency or disaster situation

"We live in a global economy and Americans are traveling abroad more frequently to learn and work, and often in increasingly dangerous locations. There will always be threats when traveling and we're committed to preparing individuals and groups to travel safely and with confidence," said Anne Ayres, President of TATE Global. "With the ProtecTour app in particular, we are able to provide an added sense of security to our clients and their families by arming them with technology that can help them avoid danger and communicate with travel safety experts at any time. The ProtecTour mobile app fills a huge void in the travel safety space, and we believe it has the potential to revolutionize how people travel."

Taking a confidence-building approach to instruction, TATE Global offers in-depth assessment and customized training for individuals, student groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations. Its expert personnel have a broad range of experience, including overseas service, and experiential and instructional backgrounds.

Americans Are Cautious about Safety when Traveling Abroad
The online survey, commissioned by TATE Global and conducted by Kelton, a leading research consultancy, connected with more than 1,000 nationally representative Americans aged 18 and over. In addition to identifying safety as a key concern when traveling internationally, the survey also found:

• Fears about safety abroad are hindering millions of Americans from traveling outside of the U.S.:
  • 94 percent of Americans can name something that would prevent them from taking a trip abroad
  • More than 1 in 10 Americans report that they have passed on an international travel opportunity because of safety concerns
  • Political conflict and potential crime are top concerns Americans have regarding international travel 
• 94 percent say that safety concerns in a particular area of another country would impact their trip in the following way:
  • Cancel activities (46%)
  • Spend more time at their hotel (37%)
  • Cut their trip short (34%)
• Communicating with people at home is a priority for Americans traveling abroad:
  • 51 percent of Americans feel they need to be reachable by people back home while in another country
  • 89 percent would be interested in the ability to send an emergency alert on a smartphone to get help if they encountered an emergency situation abroad

For additional survey findings and methodology, please contact Michele Tomlinson at Michele.Tomlinson@warschawski.com 

TATE Global (www.tate-global.com)
TATE Global is a leading travel risk mitigation consultancy that works with universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multi-national corporations to assist overseas travelers to make them more self-sufficient and risk aware. TATE Global takes a confidence-building approach to instruction to prepare groups and individuals to deal proactively with high-risk environments and situations. The company's ProtecTour mobile application provides 24-hour monitoring, safety alerts based on local threats, the ability to communicate directly with TATE Global, and information on key locations, including -- United States embassies and consulates, police stations, hospitals where English is spoken, and major transportation hubs. TATE Global is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.