Travel Insurance: Why 85% Indians Now Buy It?

More Indians are travelling and finally buying travel insurance before trips. If a medical emergency, trip cancellation, or lost baggage wipes out your holiday budget, a small premium can save you lakhs. Here is what you need to know.

Here's what happened: A 2026 global travel survey found roughly 85% of Indian travellers intend to purchase travel insurance for upcoming trips, a sharp rise from past years.. About 60% of Indian travellers now prefer domestic destinations, boosting demand for affordable domestic travel insurance policies covering accidents and hospitalisation.. Medical emergencies abroad remain the top fear driving insurance uptake, with international treatment bills routinely running into tens of lakhs of rupees..

What you should do: Compare travel insurance plans on aggregator sites — a basic domestic trip cover costs as little as ₹100 to ₹300 for a 5-day trip.. Check whether your existing health insurance policy or credit card already includes travel cover before buying a separate policy to avoid paying twice.. For international travel, ensure your policy covers a minimum medical emergency benefit of at least USD 1,00,000 — standard for Schengen and US visa requirements..

Pro tip: Buying travel insurance directly from an insurer's website is often 20–30% cheaper than purchasing it through an airline or booking portal at checkout.