Travel Far, Return Safe: The Hidden Value of Trip Protection

She had been planning her European dream trip for eighteen months. Every detail was mapped - the cafes in Paris, the hiking trails in Switzerland, the museums in Rome. She’d saved Rs 3.5 lakh, booked flights six months in advance, reserved hotels, and even learned basic conversational phrases.

Three days before departure, her father suffered a cardiac event. Suddenly, the choice was impossible: abandon the trip she’d sacrificed so much for, or leave during a family crisis. She cancelled everything. And discovered that ‘non-refundable’ means exactly what it says.

She lost Rs 2.8 lakh in a single afternoon: flights, hotels, pre-booked tours — all gone. What hurt more than the money was the realisation that she’d insured her luggage but not her life.

“I thought travel insurance was for lost bags,” she says quietly. “I didn’t know it was for lost moments.”

The Freedom Paradox

We live in the golden age of travel. Indians are exploring the world like never before. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the number of Indian nationals travelling abroad reached around 30.2 million in 2024, up sharply from pre-pandemic levels.

But here’s the paradox: the more we explore, the more vulnerable we become. Because travel isn’t just geography- it’s exposure. To weather, to illness, to accidents, to the beautiful unpredictability that makes journeys memorable and, occasionally, devastating.

Real freedom isn’t having a boarding pass. It’s knowing that when things go sideways and they sometimes do - you won’t lose everything.

“Travel insurance isn’t about pessimism,” says Ventakesh Naidu, CEO at BajajCapital Insurance Broking Ltd. “It’s about possibility. When you’re truly protected, you travel differently. You say yes to the mountain trek. You explore the local market. You’re present in the experience because you’re not calculating worst-case scenarios in your head.”

What We Misunderstand

Most travellers see trip insurance as a bureaucratic checkbox - something the visa form demands or the booking website suggests. So, we buy the cheapest option, skim the fine print, and forget about it.

Until we need it. Here’s what comprehensive trip protection actually covers:

• Trip cancellations and interruptions: Medical emergencies, family crises, natural disasters, even urgent work obligations. If you can’t travel or must return early, you’re covered not just for flights, but for everything pre-paid and non-refundable.

• Medical emergencies abroad: Hospital visits, emergency evacuations, dental issues. Healthcare abroad is expensive, critically so in places like the U.S., where a single ER visit can cost thousands of dollars.

• Lost, delayed, or damaged baggage: When your luggage takes a detour to Dubai while you’re in Denmark, insurance covers the essentials you need immediately.

• Travel delays: Missed connections, flight cancellations, or accommodation when stranded. That fourteen-hour airport layover becomes manageable when someone else is paying for your hotel and meals.

• Personal liability: If you inadvertently cause injury or property damage, coverage protects you from devastating legal costs.

• Adventure activities: Scuba diving, skiing, paragliding - the experiences that make travel unforgettable often come with elevated risk. Specialized coverage means you don’t have to choose between safety and adventure.

The Mindset Shift

We’re witnessing a generational change. Younger travellers understand that experiences are investments and investments need protection. They’re not buying insurance because they’re afraid; they’re buying it because they’re informed.

That’s the mindset shift we all need to move from viewing trip insurance as pessimistic paperwork to recognizing it as intelligent planning. It’s not what you hope to use. It’s what allows you to travel without the weight of “what if.”

It’s packing light because you know lost luggage won’t ruin your trip.

It’s trying street food without calculating medical evacuation costs.
It’s being fully present in the journey because you’ve protected everything else.

The True Departure

She eventually took her European trip - this time, comprehensively insured. In Switzerland, she tried paragliding something she’d ruled out earlier as “too risky.” She says it was the most liberating fifteen minutes of her life.

Not because nothing went wrong. But because she knew that if it did, she’d be okay.

The best journeys begin with a single step. The smartest ones begin with protection.