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Welcome to Martin Randall Travel

Travel agency, about martin randall travel.

Martin Randall Travel Is The Award-Winning Cultural Tour Operator, Specialising In Small-Group Cultural Tours And All-Inclusive Music Festivals. We Have The Widest Range Of Tours Available ? Around 200 Itineraries In 35 Countries. We Strictly Limit The Numbers On Our Tours, With Between 7 And 22 Participants. Our Music Festivals Run With Up To 250 Participants. The Tours And Festivals Are Meticulously Planned And Led By Expert Lecturers ? Esteemed Art Historians, Musicologists, Archaeologists, Historians

Backpacking

Eco-friendly, family holidays, yoga & meditation.

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Art & Architecture tours

From Classical orders to modernist innovations, our art and architecture tours examine many protagonists and periods in the history of civilisations around the world, whether the rich artistic traditions of Japan or the private palaces of Venice .

Explore the most famous and celebrated galleries in the world, such as the Uffizi, Prado and the Hermitage, and study countless lesser known gems on our art tours – and on our architecture tours, learn about great buildings as monuments and dwelling-spaces, as works of engineering as well as works of art, and as vital components in a city’s mythos. 

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• Theme Archaeology Art & Architecture Gastronomy History Houses & Gardens Literature & Drama Music, Opera & Ballet Walking
• Holiday type Lecture Afternoons London Days Music & History Weekends Music Festivals Private groups Tours for small groups

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• Price Up to £1,000 £1,000 to £2,000 £2,000 to £3,000 £3,000 to £4,000 £4,000 to £5,000 £5,000 to £6,000 £6,000 to £7,000 £7,000 to £8,000
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Flemish Painting From van Eyck to Rubens: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels

Vienna’s Masterpieces The art collections of an imperial capital

Medieval West Midlands Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire

The Plantagenet Empire Rulers of England in Normandy and Anjou

Finland: Aalto & Others 20th-century architecture and design

The Welsh Marches Castles, abbeys and parish churches

French Gothic The great cathedrals of northern France

Whitehall Architecture & history

Scottish Houses & Castles History, architecture, artworks and gardens

Danish Art & Design The Golden Age to the present; cities, coast and countryside

Franconia Art and architecture in Germany’s medieval heartland

King Ludwig II and the Wittelsbach palaces of Bavaria

The Squares Walk London’s greatest glory

Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania History, art and architecture of the Baltic Countries

The Hanseatic League Cities and abbeys of Germany’s Baltic Coast

Connoisseur’s Prague Art, architecture & design, with privileged access

Samarkand & Silk Road Cities with Tashkent, Shakhr-i-Sabz, Bukhara and Khiva

Sardinia Archaeology, architecture and art

Civilisations of Sicily Mediterranean crossroads: three thousand years of creativity

The Etruscans Italy before Rome

Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity Archaeology, history, art and landscape

West Coast Architecture A century of building in Arizona and California

Dark Age Brilliance Late Antique & Pre-Romanesque

Ancient Rome Art & architecture of the classical world

Georgia Uncovered Treasures of the Southern Caucasus

Footpaths of Umbria Walks, art and wine between Arezzo and Assisi

English Georgian Towns The art of building and the building arts 1700–1840

Raphael, in celebration A pilgrimage from Urbino to Rome

Granada & Córdoba with Úbeda & Baeza

Arts & Crafts in the Cotswolds Art and artefacts in the buildings they were designed for

The Cathedrals of England Ely, Lincoln, Durham, York, Coventry, Gloucester, Bristol, Wells, Salisbury, Winchester

The London Backstreet Walk Hyde Park to the Tower

Belgian Modern Masters Ensor, Magritte and fellow individualists

Extremadura Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

Bulgaria Archaeology & art from prehistoric to modern

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School

Courts of Northern Italy Princely art of the Renaissance

Basilicata & Calabria Italy’s undiscovered south

The Douro From Porto to Pinhão

Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden Art and architecture in Brandenburg and Saxony

Palermo Revealed Art, archaeology, architecture and gastronomy

Le Corbusier Through France and Switzerland

Walking in Southern Tuscany Art, architecture & landscapes in the Val d’Orcia & Chianti

Italian Design Modernism in Turin and Milan

Castile & León The magnificent heart of Spain

Art in the Netherlands A spectrum of the finest

Roman & Medieval Provence The south of France in the Middle Ages

Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and their contemporaries

Istanbul Revealed Byzantine & Ottoman metropolis

Sicily: from the greeks to the baroque temples, churches and palazzi: three thousand years of history, gastronomic catalonia fine food & wine, art & architecture.

Florentine Palaces Defence, humanism, magnificence and beauty

Art in Madrid The Great Galleries

Venetian Palaces The greatest and best-preserved palaces of La Serenissima

The Making of Argentina A creative history from the Atlantic to the Andes

Essential India Hindu temples, Rajput palaces and Mughal tombs

Venice Revisited From prison to palazzo: art and life in historic Venice

Ravenna & Urbino Byzantine capital, Renaissance court

Paris at Christmas Art and music in the Ville Lumière

Christmas in Emilia-Romagna Art, architecture & gastronomy in Northern Italy

Vienna at Christmas Art and architecture in the Habsburg capital

Naples at Christmas Art, antiquities & architecture –with Caserta, Amalfi & Ravello

Bruges at Christmas and the ancient cities of Flanders

Venice at Christmas Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city

Caravaggio The master of painting in Milan, Rome and Naples

Oman, Landscapes & Peoples Desert, coast and mountains

Renaissance Rivals Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael: the tumultuous trio

Palaces & Villas of Rome From Empire to Papacy: the power of magnificence

Essential Rome The complete spectrum of art, architecture and antiquities

Florence & Venice The finest and best-known art and architecture in the Western world

Indian Summer Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Shimla

Walking in sicily crater & coast: in the footsteps of history.

Florence Revisited Art off the beaten track and in private collections

Normans in the South Castles and cathedrals in Puglia, Basilicata and Campania

Romans & Carolingians Germany from Augustus to Charlemagne

Cities of Catalonia 2,000 years of art and architecture, from Romans to Modernistas

Val D’Orcia and the Sienese Hills lesser-known delights of Southern Tuscany

Cornish Houses and Gardens Landscapes, flowers, buildings and art

Medieval Saxony Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque

The Ligurian Coast Arts, history and scenery on the Riviera di Levante

Palladian Villas The greatest house builder in history

Art in Scotland Great cities, spectacular museums

Arts & Crafts in the Lake District Churches, houses and museums

The Venetian Land Empire A spectrum of north-east Italy’s finest art and architecture

Moldavia & Transylvania Towns, villages and painted churches on the edge of Europe

Great Private Houses in Norfolk Special arrangements and in-depth visits

The Road to Santiago The pilgrimage route through northern Spain

Moving on: Architecture & Memory Bauhaus to the present in Stuttgart, Ulm and Munich

Galleries of the American Midwest From Chicago to Detroit

Lincolnshire Churches Major and minor, from cathedral to parish

Medieval Oxfordshire and the Southern Cotswolds

Lusatia: Germany’s Eastern borderlands Cities, palaces and gardens along the Oder-Neisse Line

Baroque & Rococo In Southern Germany

Mitteldeutschland Weimar and the towns of Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Engineering modern Britain

The Age of Bede Anglo-Saxon Northumbria

Parma & Bologna Churches, cathedrals and castles in Emilia-Romagna

Essential Andalucía Spain’s southern province

Painted Palaces of Rajasthan Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner, the Shekhawati & Jaipur

Art History of Venice Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city

The Art of Florence Cradle of the Renaissance

The Printing Revolution Renaissance print culture in Rome & Venice

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Martin Randall Travel Traveller Reviews

Reviews of martin randall travel.

Unique experience on "Cambodia by River" tour

This tour went beyond our expectations. We enjoyed an interesting yet relaxing Pandaw cruise on the Mekong review for the first week and then spent another 6 nights in Siem Reap visiting the Khmer archaeological sights and temples. We had an erudite and enthusiastic lecturer, Freddie Matthews who gave a total of 6 lectures on Buddhism and the Khmer civilisation in Cambodia. The tour were managed very well by Emilie with just the right ...

This tour went beyond our expectations. We enjoyed an interesting yet relaxing Pandaw cruise on the Mekong review for the first week and then spent another 6 nights in Siem Reap visiting the Khmer archaeological sights and temples. We had an erudite and enthusiastic lecturer, Freddie Matthews who gave a total of 6 lectures on Buddhism and the Khmer civilisation in Cambodia. The tour were managed very well by Emilie with just the right amount of information and gentle reminders. Martin Randall Tour really exceeded its normal high standards for this tour. We had a very generous drinks package for the Mekong cruise which meant that we can be sipping cocktails and wine whilst watching the sunset on the Mekong or some cultural shows (Cambodian musical instrumnents, Apsara dances, puppet shows) every evening before dinner. We were also taken by specially arranged sightseeing coach in Phnom Penh (instead of the included package by Pandaw Cruise) and lunch at a very good French restaurant (Khmer La Poste). In Siem Reap, we had an APSARA National Authority archaelogist who accompanied our group for the first 4 days of temple visits who provided illuminating insights into the temples from an archaelogical aspect. We were also given an opportunity to attend a talk by an expert on the conservation of the stones of Angkor Wat and even to climb the scaffolds to observe at close proximity how the figure carvings are preserved using specially formulated gel. What a privilege!! Besides visiting at least 10 temples and archaelogical sites (some about 3 hours coach ride away from Siem Reap), we were treated to a gondola ride on the moat surrounding Angkor Thom to watch the sunset whilst being served champagne & canapes. To top it all, on the last night a spectacular private gala dinner at theThommanon Temple was arranged, complete with lightshows and Apsara dancers.

Although the tour is not cheap, it is of good value.. The tour itinerary is well designed and well thought out to give maximum cultural interest. MR Tour has always been generous in terms of food and drinks, quality lecturer and tour manager, hotel accommodations , quality of local guides and transportation.

Wonderful music and a very luxurious holiday.

We spent a week in Thuringia steeped in the music of Bach. We enjoyed nine concerts in a week. They were all top quality, with top class musicians. The accommodation was very classy and comfortable, and we were fed within an inch of our lives!

Everything was extremely well organized and ran smoothly. Everything had been thought of. The staff were all very professional and friendly. This was my first holiday with any tour operator so I don't have any point of comparison, but I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.

Another wonderful Martin Randall tour

Martin Randall's tour of the Châteaux of the Loire was a delight ... well organized , intelligent and great value for money.

Martin Randall tours.

Classical pleasure

Wonderful sweep through Ancient Greece with a few more modern delights

A brilliant tour manager, an excellent quid and a very stimulating lecturer. All that for just 19 participants

Ancient Greece tour

Opportunity to visit some lesser known Greek sites with subject matter experts.

Martin Randall specializes in small group, high quality tours.

Excellent experience sampling the Frances route to Santiago de Compostela

The 12 day walking tour covered the Frances El Camino route from Roncevalles to Santiago de Compostela. In order to sample the entire route, we walked more than 150 km of the 787 km route and travelled by bus for the remainder.

Martin Randall tours excel at providing cultural tours. This was my fourth tour with this company. All have been expertly curated with excellent lecturers, personable and efficient guides, accommodation at the best hotels possible, along with museum visits and background information to enhance the experience.

Superlative: imaginative planning and programming, meticulous attention to detail

The Bach Journey with Martin Randall gave us the life-enhancing opportunity to hear Bach’s music performed by exceptionally gifted musicians in a series of private concerts given in the places where Bach lived and worked. The musicians all gave deeply felt and moving performances, with a sense of real commitment to their audience. experience was supported by a series of lively and informative talks given by an eminent musicologist who was ...

The Bach Journey with Martin Randall gave us the life-enhancing opportunity to hear Bach’s music performed by exceptionally gifted musicians in a series of private concerts given in the places where Bach lived and worked. The musicians all gave deeply felt and moving performances, with a sense of real commitment to their audience. experience was supported by a series of lively and informative talks given by an eminent musicologist who was also an excellent speaker. The accommodation was of excellent quality and was chosen so as to cater for four different budgetary requirements. I enjoyed the quiet family-run hotels, each in a convenient central location, all providing varied and delicious breakfasts. The menus for the included meals were also varied and excellent. The whole tour was run with superb organisation and meticulous attention to detail. The festival staff worked hard so as to provide as enjoyable and comfortable an experience as possible: they were always friendly and helpful, without ever being obtrusive or over- managing. Even the festival booklet was generous, beautifully produced and full of information. Altogether this was a holiday where no corners were cut and which surpassed all expectations. Consequently, to say that the holiday experience provided value for money would be an understatement.

The tour operator clearly had a commitment to providing a superb holiday experience. Planning and execution were clearly carried out with attention to every detail. I would especially commend the imagination and sheer hard work that powered the whole project. Even the cancellation of our return flight by British Airways at the last moment was superbly handled - we were booked onto a new flight that day from a different airport - the whole process was as smooth, seamless and comfortable as it could possibly be..

A well organised and highly enjoyable cultural experience

Martin Randall Festivals' Bach Journey. One (very busy) week starting in Frankfurt and ending in Berlin taking in multiple locations important in the life of J,S. Bach.

Very well organised. Not a cheap holiday, but very good value nonetheless.

A week of intellectual stimulus, friendly encounters with all kinds of people from all over the world and above all, sublime music in dream venues.

It was a journey in the footsteps of the composer JS Bach through the places where he lived and worked in little known Thuringia in North Germany. The countryside was beautiful, the transport comfortable, the hotels and meals perfectly hospitable and appetizing but the greatest delight was the concerts we heard in wonderful venues . The musicians were of world class and there were hours of sublime performance for which we had been well prepared ...

It was a journey in the footsteps of the composer JS Bach through the places where he lived and worked in little known Thuringia in North Germany. The countryside was beautiful, the transport comfortable, the hotels and meals perfectly hospitable and appetizing but the greatest delight was the concerts we heard in wonderful venues . The musicians were of world class and there were hours of sublime performance for which we had been well prepared by talks from an eminent musicologist.

Attention had been paid to every imaginable detail so that participants would be well prepared and confident from beginning to end. A team of expert young people guided us discreetly, tactfully and efficiently through every part of the journey, coming into their own at the end when a BA cancelation could have spoiled the last day and left a sour taste. Instead, through energetic re planning and imaginative improvisation they managed to turn a misfortune into a pleasure for us all.

An exhilerating well-planned journey through history and pilgrimage

Walking to Santiago de Compostela over 11 days was an experience that unfolded gently and very satisfyingly. We were led by two experts who were considerate and astute, tuned in to the needs of their clients. There was no sense of being on a cookie cutter experience.

Martin Randall are true pros. They get the details right and the tone and standards of their planning sets them apart.

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Martin Randall Travel

10 Trips match your criteria (1 - 10 shown)

China’s Silk Road Cities - The Northern Route through Shaanxi, Gansu & Xinjiang

Kashgar, Tuscany

• Explore Xian there is a walk through the winding streets of the city Muslim Quarter.
• See the Shaanxi History Museum which explains the history and culture of the province
• Visit Beilin Museum, which houses a collection of stone stelae
• Explore Dunhuang ,see Mogao Caves which are highlight of the Silk Road in China and one of the most important sites of early Chinese Buddhist cave paintings

Cultural, Transformative

Spring in Crete - Landscape, history & archaeology

Akrotiri, Crete, Heraklion

• Concentrates on the extraordinary civilization of the Minoans, but also pays due attention to Classical and later cultures.
• Plenty of time for Knossos and the main sites and includes many remote and little-visited ones.
• Wonderful, contrasting landscapes at a beautiful time in the island’s calendar.
• Explore various cultural layers, history, landscape and tradition

Art in the Netherlands - Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh

Amsterdam, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

• Features artists of the seventeenth-century Golden Age (Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer), Van Gogh and other major figures
• A study of Dutch art, following the re-opening of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art
• Learn the architecture and design from mediaeval to modern, and several highly picturesque historic town centres
• See Beuningen Museum, second largest art gallery in the Netherlands

The Bergen Festival - Music & art in the western fjords

• Visit to the Fantoft stave church, a meticulous reconstruction following a fire in 1992
• Discover Bergen
• Visit the excellent Bergen Art Museum, a collection particularly strong on Edvard Munch and modern art
• Bergen is the perfect festival venue: compact, historic and in the beautiful setting of Norway’s western fjords.

Cultural, Transformative, Festivals & Special Events, Music

Art in Japan - Art, craft, architecture & design

Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Tokyo

• See finest collections of Japanese art, in museums and in situ in temples and shrines
• Visit World Heritage sites at Nikko, Kyoto, Nara and Horyu-ji, and the art island of Naoshima
• See Outstanding museum buildings by Tadao Ando, I.M. Pei and other leading architects
• Learn the aspects of Japanese culture, past and present, including gastronomy and gardens

The Arts in China - Museums & private collections in China & Taiwan

Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Taipei

• See the best surviving examples of all the arts, from bronzes and porcelain to calligraphy and painting in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin and Shanghai
• Enjoy artistic expression manifested in ritual, pictorial and architectural traditions
• See the world’s greatest collection of Chinese art, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan
• Get to see wonderful ancient Buddhist statues and an exceptionally fine collection of porcelain

Essential Puglia - Art & architecture in the heel of Italy

Gallipoli Peninsula

• Fascinating architecture, especially Norman and Baroque
• Exceptionally attractive streetscapes in hilltop towns and coastal cities
• Distinctive, dramatic limestone landscapes
• See also the well preserved Roman theatre

Georgia Uncovered - Treasures of the Southern Caucasus

Gelati monastery, Narikala Fortress , Tbilisi

• Churches and monasteries dating from the sixth century and earlier
• Exquisite jewellery and metalwork from the Bronze Age and Antiquity
• Spectacular mountain landscapes
• A delicious and varied regional cuisine in a land that is the cradle of wine
• Led by Ian Colvin, Historian and Byzantinist specialising in Late Antiquity and the South Caucasus

Cultural, High Adventure

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Martin randall travel reviews & ratings.

art history of florence

trip of a lifetime

I had to write this review when I saw the only review on here was so mediocre. We went earlier this year on an art tour of Florence. It was excellent, from booking t...

White Rabbit

Disappointing Mediocre Greek tour

If Martin Randall put a fraction of the effort they put into their marketing into their actual trips, it would be the best tour company in the world. Alas, the effor...

See all Martin Randall Travel reviews

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• How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance in June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our Picks for the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best overall: nationwide travel insurance.

• Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA
• Best for Cruises: Travel Guard
• Best Reputation:  C&F Travel Insured
• Best for Pre-existing Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance
• Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance
• Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

How we rate travel insurance »

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options for a wide range of people and needs. For this guide, we looked at coverage options, customizability, and the best companies for specific situations, such as pre-existing conditions.

Here are Business Insider's picks for the best travel insurance companies in 2024. 

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Travel Insurance Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the cost, for all three plan levels
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR covers up to 75% of total trip costs (maximum of $112,500 on some plans) 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Medical coverage of up to $500,000 and evacuation of up to $1,000,000 per person
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes COVID coverage 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Above average baggage loss and delay benefits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may run slightly higher than competitors

Travel Guard is a well-established and highly rated name in the travel insurance industry. It offers three main coverage options to choose from, and in general its policies have above-average coverage for baggage loss and baggage delays, plus high medical evaluation coverage limits.

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Preexisting medical conditions exclusions waiver must be purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment
• Annual travel insurance plan and Pack N' Go plan (for last-minute trips) available

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for Reputation: C&F Travel Insured

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 2 major plans including CFAR coverage on the more expensive option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancellation for job loss included as a covered reason for trip cancellation/interruption (does not require CFAR coverage to qualify)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Frequent traveler reward included in both policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is only $100,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews on claims processing indicate ongoing issues
• C&F's Travel Insured policies allow travelers customize travel insurance to fit their specific needs. Frequent travelers may benefit from purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, then adding on CFAR coverage for any portions of travel that may incur greater risk.

While every travel insurance company has negative reviews about its claims process, C&F Travel Insured 's claims process has a consistent stream of positive reviews. One customer wrote that C&F processed a claim within 48 hours. Additionally, C&F regularly responds to customer reviews within one business week, making reviews a consistent way to reach the company.

Additionally, in C&F's fine print, it mentions that any claims that take more than 30 days to pay out will begin to accrue interest at 9% APY.

C&F's reputation isn't the only thing to speak highly of. It offers an array of add-ons uncommon in the travel insurance industry, such as Interruption for Any Reason insurance and CFAR coverage for annual plans. C&F also offers discounts for children on its Protector Edge plan and free coverage on its Protector plan.  

Read our C&F Travel Insured review here. 

Best for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Seven of Tin Leg's eight travel plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial trip payment.

Thanks to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Digital Nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable base plans that can be customized with add-ons including rental car, pet care, hunting and fishing, and vacation rental coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Insurance plans available for international student travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage benefit that kicks in after just five hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pre-existing conditions waiver can be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Lower medical, evacuation and accidental death limits
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited, secondary baggage loss coverage although baggage protection can be upgraded at a low cost
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc.

WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.

• Travel medical insurance (Premium, Group, Annual, and International Student options)
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip protection insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Affordability: Trawick International Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Useful for adventurous travelers headed to higher-risk destinations
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable plans with varying levels of coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 10-day free look option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage loss replacement policy
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some policies allow a CFAR add-on
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million medical evacuation coverage limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage and trip delay coverages don’t kick in until after the 12-hour mark
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. International student policies available for temporary stints abroad
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complaints about claims not being paid or involving an intermediary to resolve claims

Trawick International travel insurance offers plans customized to diverse travelers' needs. We look at coverage options, claims processing, pricing, and other important factors for savvy travelers.

• Travel medical insurance
• Trip protection and cancellation
• International student insurance
• Visitor medical insurance (for traveling to the US)

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance  that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Options to cover sports equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to increase medical coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only two insurance plans to choose from
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage maximum is low at up to $50,000 per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage

Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the US providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.

• Optional CFAR insurance available with the Travel Select plan
• Trip delay insurance starting at $500 with the Travel Basic plan
• Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the U.S., but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the U.S. for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about how much emergency medical care while traveling will cost, even in the most remote corners of the globe. This coverage will often come in tandem with emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short. You may also look for cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason options, which will reimburse you for a percentage of your nonrefundable fees, but expands the covered reasons you can cancel a trip. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance companies here.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Also, check websites that field customer reviews like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and InsureMyTrip , to see how well a company responds to customer requests.

Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering. While the ratings are important, you should also look at whether or not a company responds to customer complaints.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

How We Reviewed the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Best Travel Insurance FAQs

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Determine the benefits that are most important to you, like baggage delay coverage, medical coverage, and trip delay coverage, then look for a company with solid customer ratings, especially when it comes to processing claims.

Travel insurance will pay out if you experience a covered event, such as a travel delay or delayed or lost baggage. If you're looking to get travel insurance for a specific reason, such as needing to potentially cancel your trip due to work reasons, make sure your policy will cover you in that situation before purchasing it. You should also check customer reviews to see other travelers' claims experiences, as it varies wildly from company to company.

The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include travel medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with pre-existing conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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• Main content

What is the future of travel?

All aboard! After the pandemic upended life and leisure as we know it, travel is roaring back. The industry is set to make a full recovery by the end of 2024, after losing 75 percent of its value in 2020. Much of this has been so-called “revenge travel,” or people embarking on international or bucket list trips that were delayed by the pandemic. But domestic travel is recovering quickly too and is set to represent 70 percent of travel spending by 2030.

Get to know and directly engage with senior McKinsey experts on travel and tourism

Margaux Constantin is a partner in McKinsey’s Dubai office, Matteo Pacca is a senior partner in the Paris office, and Vik Krishnan is a senior partner in the Bay Area office.

We’ve done a deep dive into the latest travel trends and how industry players can adjust accordingly in The state of travel and hospitality 2024 report. Check out the highlights below, as well as McKinsey’s insights on AI in travel, mass tourism, and much more.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice .

Who are today’s travelers, and what do they want?

In February and March 2024, McKinsey surveyed  5,000 people in China, Germany, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom, and the United States who had taken at least one leisure trip in the past two years. Here are six highlights from the results of that survey:

• Travel is a top priority, especially for younger generations. Sixty-six percent of travelers we surveyed said they are more interested in travel now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. And millennials and Gen Zers  are traveling more and spending a higher share of their income on travel than their older counterparts.
• Younger travelers are keen to travel abroad. Gen Zers and millennials who responded to our survey are planning nearly an equal number of international and domestic trips in 2024. Older generations are planning to take twice as many domestic trips.
• Baby boomers are willing to spend if they see value. Baby boomers still account for 20 percent of overall travel spending. They are willing to spend on comforts such as nonstop flights. On the other hand, they are more willing to forego experiences to save money while traveling, unlike Gen Zers who will cut all other expense categories before they trim experiences.
• Travel is a collective story, with destinations as the backdrop. Travelers both want to hear other travelers’ stories and share their own. Ninety-two percent of younger travelers were inspired by social media in some shape or form for their last trip.
• What travelers want depends on where they’re from. Sixty-nine percent of Chinese respondents said they plan to visit a famous sight on their next trip, versus the 20 percent of European and North American travelers who said the same. Respondents living in the UAE also favor iconic destinations, as well as shopping and outdoor activities.

Learn more about McKinsey’s  Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice .

What are the top three travel industry trends today?

Travel is back, but traveler flows are shifting. McKinsey has isolated three major themes for industry stakeholders to consider as they look ahead.

• The bulk of travel spending is close to home. Seventy-five percent of travel spend is domestic. The United States is currently the world’s largest domestic travel market, but China is set to overtake it in the coming years. Stakeholders should make sure they capture the full potential of domestic travelers before turning their attention abroad.
• New markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe are growing sources of outbound tourism. Indians’ travel spending is expected to grow 9 percent per year between now and 2030; annual growth projections for Southeast Asians and Eastern Europeans are both around 7 percent.
• Unexpected destinations are finding new ways to lure travelers and establish themselves alongside enduring favorites. Rwanda, for example, has capitalized on sustainable tourism by limiting gorilla trekking permits and directing revenue toward conservation.

Introducing McKinsey Explainers : Direct answers to complex questions

For a more in-depth look at these trends, check out McKinsey’s State of travel and hospitality 2024   report .

How will AI change how people travel?

In the 1950s, the introduction of the jet engine dramatically reduced travel times, changing the way people traveled forever. Now AI is upending the industry  in a similarly fundamental way. Industry players down to individual travelers are using advances in generative AI (gen AI) , machine learning , and deep learning  to reimagine what it means to plan, book, and experience travel. “It’s quite clear,” says McKinsey partner Vik Krishnan , “that gen AI significantly eases  the process of travel discovery.”

For travel companies, the task now is to rethink how they interact with customers, develop products and services, and manage operations in the age of AI. According to estimates by McKinsey Digital, companies that holistically address digital and analytics opportunities have the potential to see an earnings improvement of up to 25 percent .

McKinsey and Skift Research interviewed executives from 17 companies across five types of travel business. Here are three key findings on how travel companies can reckon with emerging technologies, drawn from the resulting report The promise of travel in the age of AI :

• Segmentation. Companies can use AI to create hyperspecific customer segments to guide how they interact with and serve customers. Segmentation can be based on a single macro characteristic (such as business versus leisure), or it can be so specific as to relate to just one customer.
• Surprise and delight. In the travel context, gen AI could take the form of digital assistants that interact with customers throughout their journeys, providing personalized trip itineraries and tailored recommendations and helping to resolve unexpected disruptions.
• Equipping workers better. AI tools can free up frontline workers’ time, allowing them to focus more on personal customer interactions. These tools can also shorten the training time for new hires and quickly upskill  the existing workforce.

AI is important, yes. But, according to Ella Alkalay Schreiber, general manager (GM) of fintech at Hopper, “The actual challenge is to understand the data, ask the right questions, read prediction versus actual, and do this in a timely manner. The actual challenge is the human thinking, the common sense .”

How is mass tourism changing travel?

More people are traveling than ever before. The most visited destinations are experiencing more concentrated flows of tourists ; 80 percent of travelers visit just 10 percent of the world’s tourist destinations. Mass tourism can encumber infrastructure, frustrate locals, and even harm the attractions that visitors came to see in the first place.

Tourism stakeholders can collectively look for better ways to handle visitor flows before they become overwhelming. Destinations should remain alert to early warning signs about high tourism concentration and work to maximize the benefits of tourism, while minimizing its negative impacts.

For one thing, destinations should understand their carrying capacity of tourists—that means the specific number of visitors a destination can accommodate before harm is caused to its physical, economic, or sociocultural environment. Shutting down tourism once the carrying capacity is reached isn’t always possible—or advisable. Rather, destinations should focus on increasing carrying capacity to enable more growth.

Next, destinations should assess their readiness to handle mass tourism and choose funding sources and mechanisms that can address its impacts. Implementing permitting systems for individual attractions can help manage capacity and mitigate harm. Proceeds from tourism can be reinvested into local communities to ensure that residents are not solely responsible for repairing the wear and tear caused by visitors.

After risks and funding sources have been identified, destinations can prepare for growing tourist volumes in the following ways:

• Build and equip a tourism-ready workforce to deliver positive tourism experiences.
• Use data (gathered from governments, businesses, social media platforms, and other sources) to manage visitor flows.
• Be deliberate about which tourist segments to attract (business travelers, sports fans, party groups, et cetera), and tailor offerings and communications accordingly.
• Distribute visitor footfall across different areas, nudging tourists to visit less-trafficked locations, and during different times, promoting off-season travel.
• Be prepared for sudden, unexpected fluctuations triggered by viral social media and cultural trends.
• Preserve cultural and natural heritage. Engage locals, especially indigenous people, to find the balance between preservation and tourism.

How can the travel sector accelerate the net-zero transition?

Global warming is getting worse, and the travel sector contributes up to 11 percent of total carbon emissions. Many consumers are aware that travel is part of the problem, but they’re reticent to give up their trips: travel activity is expected to soar by 85 percent  from 2016 to 2030. Instead, they’re increasing pressure on companies in the travel sector to achieve net zero . It’s a tall order: the range of decarbonization technologies in the market is limited, and what’s available is expensive.

But decarbonization doesn’t have to be a loss-leading proposition. Here are four steps  travel companies can take toward decarbonization that can potentially create value:

• Identify and sequence decarbonization initiatives. Awareness of decarbonization levers is one thing; implementation is quite another. One useful tool to help develop an implementation plan is the marginal abatement cost curve pathway framework, which provides a cost-benefit analysis of individual decarbonization levers and phasing plans.
• Partner to accelerate decarbonization of business travel. Many organizations will reduce their business travel, which accounts for 30 percent of all travel spend. This represents an opportunity for travel companies to partner with corporate clients on decarbonization. Travel companies can support their partners in achieving their decarbonization goals by nudging corporate users to make more sustainable choices, while making reservations and providing data to help partners track their emissions.
• Close the ‘say–do’ gap among leisure travelers. One McKinsey survey indicates that 40 percent of travelers globally say they are willing to pay at least 2 percent more for carbon-neutral flights. But Skift’s latest consumer survey reveals that only 14 percent  of travelers said they actually paid more for sustainable travel options. Travel companies can help close this gap by making sustainable options more visible during booking and using behavioral science to encourage travelers to make sustainable purchases.
• Build new sustainable travel options for the future. The travel sector can proactively pioneer sustainable new products and services. Green business building will require companies to create special initiatives, led by teams empowered to experiment without the pressure of being immediately profitable.

What’s the future of air travel?

Air travel is becoming more seasonal, as leisure travel’s increasing share of the market creates more pronounced summer peaks. Airlines have responded by shifting their schedules to operate more routes at greater frequency during peak periods. But airlines have run into turbulence when adjusting to the new reality. Meeting summer demand means buying more aircraft and hiring more crew; come winter, these resources go unutilized, which lowers productivity . But when airlines don’t run more flights in the summer, they leave a lot of money on the table.

How can airlines respond to seasonality? Here are three approaches :

• Mitigate winter weakness by employing conventional pricing and revenue management techniques, as well as creative pricing approaches (including, for example, monitoring and quickly seizing on sudden travel demand spikes, such as those created by a period of unexpectedly sunny weather).
• Adapt to seasonality by moving crew training sessions to off-peak periods, encouraging employee holiday taking during trough months, and offering workers seasonal contracts. Airlines can also explore outsourcing of crew, aircraft, maintenance, and even insurance.
• Leverage summer strengths, ensuring that commercial contracts reflect summer’s higher margins.

How is the luxury travel space evolving?

Quickly. Luxury travelers are not who you might expect: many are under the age of 60 and not necessarily from Europe or the United States. Perhaps even more surprisingly, they are not all millionaires: 35 percent of luxury-travel spending is by travelers with net worths between $100,000 and $1 million. Members of this group are known as aspirational luxury travelers, and they have their own set of preferences. They might be willing to spend big on one aspect of their trip—a special meal or a single flight upgrade—but not on every travel component. They prefer visibly branded luxury and pay close attention to loyalty program points and benefits .

The luxury-hospitality space is projected to grow faster than any other segment, at 6 percent per year  through 2025. And competition for luxury hotels is intensifying too: customers now have the option of renting luxurious villas with staff, or booking nonluxury hotels with luxury accoutrements such as rainfall showerheads and mattress toppers.

Another critical evolution is that the modern consumer, in the luxury space and elsewhere, values experiences over tangible things (exhibit).

Luxury properties may see more return from investing in a culture of excellence—powered by staff who anticipate customer needs, exceed expectations, create cherished memories, and make it all feel seamless—than in marble floors and gold-plated bath fixtures. Here are a few ways luxury properties can foster a culture of excellence :

• Leaders should assume the role of chief culture officer. GMs of luxury properties should lead by example, to help nurture a healthy and happy staff culture, and listen and respond to staff concerns.
• Hire for personalities, not resumes. “You can teach someone how to set a table,” said one GM we interviewed, “but you can’t teach a positive disposition.”
• Celebrate and reward employees. Best-in-class service is about treating customers with generosity and care. Leaders in the service sector can model this behavior by treating employees similarly.
• Create a truly distinctive customer experience . McKinsey research has shown that the top factor influencing customer loyalty in the lodging sector is “an experience worth paying more for”—not the product. Train staff to focus on tiny details as well as major needs to deliver true personalization.

What’s the latest in travel loyalty programs?

Loyalty programs are big business . They’ve evolved past being simply ways to boost sales or strengthen customer relationships; now, for many travel companies, they are profit centers in their own right. One major development was that travel companies realized they could sell loyalty points in bulk to corporate partners, who in turn offered the points to their customers as rewards. In 2019, United’s MileagePlus loyalty program sold $3.8 billion worth of miles to third parties, which accounted for 12 percent of the airline’s total revenue for that year. In 2022, American Airlines’ loyalty program brought in $3.1 billion in revenue, and Marriott’s brought in $2.7 billion.

But as this transition has happened, travel players have shifted focus away from the original purpose of these programs. Travel companies are seeing these loyalty programs primarily as revenue generators, rather than ways to improve customer experiences . As a result, loyalty program members have become increasingly disloyal. Recent loyalty surveys conducted by McKinsey revealed a steep decline in the likelihood that a customer would recommend airline, hotel, and cruise line loyalty programs to a friend. The same surveys also found that airline loyalty programs are driving fewer customer behavior changes than they used to.

So how can travel brands win customers’ loyalty back? Here are three steps to consider:

• Put experience at the core of loyalty programs. According to our 2023 McKinsey Travel Loyalty Survey , American respondents said they feel more loyal to Amazon than to the top six travel players combined, despite the absence of any traditional loyalty program. One of the reasons for Amazon’s success may be the frictionless experience it provides customers. Companies should strive to design loyalty programs around experiential benefits that make travelers feel special and seamlessly integrate customer experiences between desktop, mobile, and physical locations.
• Use data to offer personalization  to members. Travel brands have had access to customer data for a long time. But many have yet to deploy it for maximum value. Companies can use personalization to tailor both experiences and offers for loyalty members; our research has shown that 78 percent  of consumers are more likely to make a repeat purchase when offered a personalized experience.
• Rethink partnerships. Traditionally, travel companies have partnered with banks to offer cobranded credit cards. But many credit card brands now offer their own, self-branded travel rewards ecosystems. These types of partnerships may have diminishing returns in the future. When rethinking partnerships, travel brands should seek to build richer connections with customers, while boosting engagement. Uber’s partnership with Marriott, for example, gives users the option to link the brands’ loyalty programs, tapping into two large customer bases and providing more convenient travel experiences.

In a changing travel ecosystem, travel brands will need to ask themselves some hard questions if they want to earn back their customers’ loyalty.

Learn more about McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics, and Infrastructure Practice . And check out travel-related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced include:

• “ Updating perceptions about today’s luxury traveler ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ Now boarding: Faces, places, and trends shaping tourism in 2024 ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ Destination readiness: Preparing for the tourist flows of tomorrow ,” May 29, 2024, Caroline Tufft , Margaux Constantin , Matteo Pacca , and Ryan Mann
• “ How the world’s best hotels deliver exceptional customer experience ,” March 18, 2024, Ryan Mann , Ellen Scully, Matthew Straus, and Jillian Tellez Holub
• “ How airlines can handle busier summers—and comparatively quiet winters ,” January 8, 2024, Jaap Bouwer, Ludwig Hausmann , Nina Lind , Christophe Verstreken, and Stavros Xanthopoulos
• “ Travel invented loyalty as we know it. Now it’s time for reinvention. ,” November 15, 2023, Lidiya Chapple, Clay Cowan, Ellen Scully, and Jillian Tellez Holub
• “ What AI means for travel—now and in the future ,” November 2, 2023, Alex Cosmas  and Vik Krishnan
• “ The promise of travel in the age of AI ,” September 27, 2023, Susann Almasi, Alex Cosmas , Sam Cowan, and Ben Ellencweig
• “ The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap enhancing customer experience ,” August 1, 2023, Urs Binggeli, Zi Chen, Steffen Köpke, and Jackey Yu
• “ Hotels in the 2030s: Perspectives from Accor’s C-suite ,” July 27, 2023, Aurélia Bettati
• “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” May 4, 2023, Margaux Constantin , Giuseppe Genovese, Kashiff Munawar, and Rebecca Stone
• “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” April 3, 2023, Ryan Mann , Esteban Ramirez, and Matthew Straus
• “ Accelerating the transition to net-zero travel ,” September 20, 2022, Danielle Bozarth , Olivier Cheret, Vik Krishnan , Mackenzie Murphy, and Jules Seeley
• “ The six secrets of profitable airlines ,” June 28, 2022, Jaap Bouwer, Alex Dichter , Vik Krishnan , and Steve Saxon
• “ How to ‘ACE’ hospitality recruitment ,” June 23, 2022, Margaux Constantin , Steffen Köpke, and Joost Krämer
• “ Opportunities for industry leaders as new travelers take to the skies ,” April 5, 2022, Mishal Ahmad, Frederik Franz, Tomas Nauclér, and Daniel Riefer
• “ Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel ,” September 21, 2021, Vik Krishnan , Kevin Neher, Maurice Obeid , Ellen Scully, and Jules Seeley

Want to know more about the future of travel?

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Travel Disruptors: Bringing fintech to travel booking

Why travel companies are guaranteeing the weather

Weather guarantees incentivize travelers to book trips without worrying about rain, heat or a northern lights no-show.

Travelers can control nearly every detail for their trip: where to stay, when to eat, what to see and how to get around. Weather, on the other hand, just does its own thing.

To convince vacationers who may be too afraid of a washout to book a trip, travel companies are sweetening the deal. Rain ruined your golf game? Get a refund. Northern lights a no-show on your cruise? Sign up for another — free. Subpar snow on the slope? Trade in your lift ticket for another day.

Such promises aren’t ubiquitous, and they often come with fine print or at additional expense. But as climate change leads to an increase in extreme weather events, more travel industry players are trying to ease the blow of a rainy spell, scorching afternoon or even disappointing lack of natural phenomena.

“The experience matters so much more than the money to people,” said Nick Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of Sensible Weather , which pays travelers if the forecast meets certain conditions. “For many trips, the weather is the make-or-break for the experience.”

Weather guarantees are different from traditional travel insurance policies, which typically covers costs if a vacation has to be canceled or cut short because of a covered emergency such as illness, injury or natural disaster, said Jenna Hummer, spokeswoman for the travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. Insurance policies can cost roughly 5 to 10 percent of the cost of a trip.

“That would be super frustrating if you spend X amount of money and go on a beach vacation and it rains the entire time,” she said. “Unfortunately, travel insurance does not cover loss of enjoyment.”

Guarantees for northern lights, powdery snow

Individual hotels, ski resorts, destinations, cruise lines and others have all offered their own twists on weather guarantees.

In 2019, the Italian island of Elba promised a free overnight stay (which is no longer in place) on days when it rained for more than two hours during peak activity times.

The InterContinental Singapore advertises a Rain Resist Bliss package for certain suites, good through the end of the year, that gives a one-night rebate if plans are disrupted by rain. Many ski resorts allow visitors to get a rain check on lift tickets if the snow doesn’t meet expectations.

SeaWorld offers a “Weather-or-Not Assurance” for its marine-themed parks and other brands that guests can return free within a year if extreme weather, including heat, puts a serious dent in their plans.

Holland America Line dangles a “glacier guarantee” for Alaska cruises, promising a credit for a future cruise equal to 15 percent of their fare if a voyage unexpectedly skips a glacier visit. At least two other cruise lines, Norway-based Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages , make a “Northern Lights Promise” for a free cruise if no aurora occurs during a sailing at certain times of year.

“The northern lights is a bucket-list [event] for so many travelers,” said Anders Lindström, spokesman for Hurtigruten, which has offered its promise for nearly a decade. “We know people book with us for the northern lights.”

He said chances are high for viewing the phenomena in Arctic Norway between October and March; travelers “almost never” have to take the cruise line up on its free-cruise offer — and if they did, they would still have to pay for flights to get to the ship. Still, Lindstrom says the guarantee helps guests have confidence to book in the first place.

“We’re not in charge of the weather,” he said. “I wish we were.”

Bad forecast = money back

Sensible Weather, which started offering weather promises in 2021, has sold more than 100,000 guarantees covering rain since then. The company partners with 3,500 businesses including campsites, tour operators, hotels, golf courses, attractions and others; those businesses allow customers to buy a “Weather Guarantee” as part of the checkout process. Sensible Weather mostly covers rain and, at ski resort partners, too much snow, but it started offering heat protection earlier this year. Cavanaugh said he is also interested in potentially adding air quality, following last year’s inundation of wildfire smoke.

The cost to insure against bad conditions is generally 5 to 10 percent of what a traveler is spending, Cavanaugh said. The parameters — for example, how many hours the rain forecast needs to be to get reimbursement — are set when the purchase is made. If the forecast meets that requirement, customers automatically get reimbursed, even if they move forward with their plans in the rain. The thresholds and prices vary according to the risk, and of course the weather could be good, which means no money would get returned.

“You can still go jet-skiing in the rain,” Cavanaugh said. “You cannot go jet-skiing in the rain and take the money we give you and go get a massage.”

The company provided some examples of how the coverage works: a couple who paid $12.78 to protect their $115 cost to camp for a June night in Tennessee was guaranteed a 100 percent payout if it rained for at least three hours. They got that $115 back after the rain lasted four hours.

In Utah, the cost was $3 to protect a one-night, $122 hotel stay in August with the promise that one hour of rain would result in reimbursement. The customer got $122 back after rain fell for an hour.

Because payments are made based on forecasts, people get their money back even if predicted weather doesn’t show.

“It’s a win-win,” Cavanaugh said. “We’re trying to get people money as soon as possible, ideally before the bad thing happens, to sort of maximize the probability that you have a good day.”

A newer company, WeatherPromise , also promises guarantees against rain for a price.

Campspot , a site that lets travelers book camping and RV sites, partnered with Sensible Weather last year after customer research revealed unpredictable weather “was the most stressful part” about booking a trip and camping, said Jeff Bettin, vice president of commercial strategy and performance.

He said the company found that customers were more likely to book after the guarantee was introduced.

“We think it’s potentially providing more confidence to get over that mental hurdle: ‘Oh, what if it rains?’" he said. “Now you have some peace of mind.”

Policies cover comfort

Collective Hill Country , a glamping site in Texas, is the first partner to offer guests the heat option as the outdoor hospitality company seeks to extend the dates it operates in the summer. Chief hospitality officer Vanessa Vitale Hughes said that the property already offers air conditioning, running water, showers, steel pools and foods appropriate for warm weather.

“I think that we’ve done a very good job of ensuring comfort in all types of conditions,” she said. “And I think it also depends a little bit on the guest — which is why any type of weather guarantee is an extra layer of protection for those who need it.”

The company has offered the rain protection at its property in New York City as “kind of an extra raincoat, if you will,” Hughes said, and got good feedback.

She said that in Texas, if the weather reaches temperatures set by the policy, guests will still be able to take part in whatever activities they’re comfortable doing — they'll just get money back for the day.

Carolin Lusby, an associate professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University and co-director of the Global Sustainable Tourism program there, said there are some travelers who would be most likely to opt to purchase weather promises. Potential customers include families and those who are risk-averse, big spenders who have more to lose from a disruption.

Lusby, who is organizing a conference about sustainability and climate change, said she expects the warming earth to continue to affect travelers in meaningful ways.

“It’s changing weather patterns," she said. “It’s something that’s going to impact us for sure.”

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