ECTAA Travel Protection Summit 2025

Navigating travel protection: a day to share insights and innovate

The travel industry has moved beyond the initial shock of the global health crisis, but the impact can still be felt and challenges remain. Businesses and consumers suffered from disrupted payment flows while realizing where gaps of protection existed.
Macroeconomic instability, geopolitical tensions, and environmental risks continue to create uncertainty for travellers and businesses alike. Travel protection plays a vital role in addressing these challenges, though it looks different in B2B and B2C contexts. For businesses, there is a need to reduce risk and safeguard partnerships within the travel ecosystem. Travellers need peace of mind and look for protection in case of cancellations, medical emergencies, and logistical disruptions. Having protection in place however comes at a cost. What level at protection can be achieved at what cost and how does a fair burden sharing look like? Ensuring competition among providers is essential to keeping solutions affordable and fair.
The Covid-19 pandemic reshaped travel protection. Rising risks such as medical emergencies and widespread cancellations led insurers to adjust their offerings and prices. Inflation and economic uncertainty further influenced these shifts. Although the pandemic has receded, its aftereffects remain visible. Over the past year, the focus has shifted towards travel disruption coverage, addressing ongoing challenges such as delays and logistical issues.
Travel protection is crucial for the industry, but it comes in different shapes and forms with different challenges. The associated costs can strain both businesses and consumers, making competition among providers essential to developing cost-effective and fair solutions. For B2B travel protection, both private and public operators play an important role, offering varied approaches to limit risks for businesses and their ecosystem partners.
At the same time, travel protection operates within a framework of national and European regulations, as well as established industry standards and practices. These rules help shape the landscape but also add layers of complexity.

To address these issues, a dedicated day of discussion will bring together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders. The event will focus on:

• Understanding the different needs for B2B and B2C travel protection.
• Examining how travel protection reduces risks while managing costs.
• Analysing the role of competition and regulations in the industry.
• Exploring innovative solutions to improve travel protection.

This collaborative effort will reflect on the journey of travel protection so far and identify ways to make it more efficient, sustainable, and accessible. It aims to exchange diverse perspectives and chart a course towards a stronger, more resilient travel industry.