Mawdy: building protection into every journey, naturally
Zigor Díez Gamboa, Global Head of Business Development at Mawdy, tells us that customer demand and market expansion are driving travel companies to rethink how protection is delivered
Embedded insurance is reshaping how protection is delivered across the travel industry. For companies, the opportunity lies in rethinking their ecosystems and capabilities to make protection a natural part of the customer journey rather than a separate purchase.
Digitalisation is transforming the way we travel and our expectations along with it. We book a flight, a hotel, a vehicle, or an activity within a single digital environment, and we expect everything we need to be available along the way, simply and in context.
Protection is evolving alongside it. Traditionally, it has sat apart from the purchase: an add-on that travellers had to seek out and buy on their own, or that might be recommended during an assisted sale.
Embedded insurance offers a different approach: integrating protection directly into the purchase journey, precisely where the need arises.
A growing market
The scale this model is reaching explains why the travel industry should take notice. According to Research and Markets’ ‘Embedded Insurance Market Report 2026’,the global embedded insurance market is expected to grow from US$116.05 billion in 2025 to $138.08 billion in 2026, reaching $277.67 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20%. In five years, the market will have more than doubled in size.
And this is not just a market forecast.
Demand is pointing in the same direction.
The‘Full Trip Planning Research 2026’ study, commissioned by Expedia Group and conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 67% of respondents said they would likely add protection if it were offered as a simple add-on during booking.
The travel journey is full of opportunities to make protection relevant and valuable. The key is not to add more coverage, but to identify when it matters most to the customer.
Understanding the customer
Technology is only part of the equation. APIs and digital platforms make it possible to connect insurance capabilities with travel providers’ systems, but developing these offerings requires understanding the customer, anticipating their needs, and delivering a proposition that is relevant, intuitive, and effortless for customers.
Nor does this adaptation have to follow a single formula. A long-haul flight, a car rental, and a family vacation each present different circumstances. For travel companies, understanding these nuances is just as important as having the technology needed to incorporate them.
Assessing which solutions have the most potential, defining value propositions together with partners, building integrations, and adjusting processes are all decisions best made before bringing these solutions to customers. The success of these models depends largely on close collaboration between the protection provider and the distributor, combining insight into travellers, technological capabilities, and insurance expertise to design truly relevant solutions.
At Mawdy, we see this evolution as an opportunity to support our partners through this transformation, combining insurance know-how, technology, and international experience to develop solutions tailored to every stage of the customer journey.
About Mawdy
Mawdy Worldwide Digital Assistance is the assistance unit of Mapfre Group. Known as Mapfre Asistencia until 2023, it operates in 23 countries and has more than 2,500 employees, primarily in Latin America and Europe. Specialising in digital distribution, the company develops services and solutions that complement its partners’ offerings and go beyond insurance.
Zigor Díez Gamboa
Global Head of Business Development, Mawdy
Zigor has more than 20 years of experience at Mawdy, where he has held roles in Operations, International Provider Networks, and Reinsurance, driving the travel insurance business in more than 40 countries. In his current role as Global Head of Business Development, he leads growth, strategic partnerships, and relationships with clients and insurers.
November 2026
Issue
In this, our biggest issue ever, our main focus is on artificial intelligence. After recent threats and warnings about the potential dangers of AI and calls for coordinated action to slow the technology's development, we speak to experts about the technology in a three-part special. We look at data-driven risk assessment, underwriting, and portfolio optimisation, which are all being transformed by AI, and ask what insurers and underwriters are doing to get the most out of the technology.
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The Editorial Team updates the ITIJ website daily, and works on features for the print edition. With expert industry knowledge and years of experience in writing about complex travel insurance issues, the Editorial Team is ready to investigate and report on the topics that matter most to ITIJ's readers.
