ITIC UK 2026 | Consumers’ wants, needs, and outcomes

The ITIJ team are reporting from ITIC UK in Brighton this week (29–30 April 2026), sharing the discussions that take place at the conference. Read all reports.

In this session at ITIC UK 2026, Ian Hughes, Executive Chair, Consumer Intelligence, began with a presentation exploring the critical disconnect at the heart of travel insurance: what customers think they are buying versus what they really are buying.

Drawing on fresh consumer research, Hughes highlighted how confidence often masked confusion. From assumptions around pre-existing medical conditions to misunderstandings about policy wording, travellers make decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate information. As discussed within the wider ITIC UK 2026 agenda, understanding customer behaviour remains central to improving outcomes across the industry.

The presentation also examined the “broken handoff” between purchase and claims, where even satisfied customers reported challenges navigating support at critical moments. With many consumers continuing to prioritise price above all else, there are clear implications for how products are designed, communicated, and delivered.

Hughes challenged delegates to rethink how the industry translated insurance into something customers could genuinely understand and trust. As travel demand continues to grow and diversify, aligning customer perception with reality is becoming increasingly important for insurers, intermediaries, and assistance providers.

In discussion, Alastair Reed, Principal Policy Adviser, Money, Which?, agreed with the issue presented by Hughes that “insurance is a difficult thing to buy… it’s not always clear what is relevant”.

He posed the question: “How do you manage the difference between easy to read and easy to understand?”

In response, Sara Newell, Commercial Director, MONY Group, advised insurers to “focus on real scenarios and bring those aspects to life” in the purchasing process, suggesting a complete shift was needed.

She noted: “Standardising policies might help the industry, and is likely to increase pricing, but it doesn’t help customers understand what they’re buying.”

Hughes highlighted that consumers didn’t always have enough attention to give to the policy, whereas Reed said we put too much emphasis on consumers: “It is for the regulator in the industry to make sure it is addressing potential harms, based on statistical evidence about what usually goes wrong.

“It’s not unreasonable for consumers to not read the terms and conditions of a policy,” he added.

A member of the audience raised the point that it was “overly simplistic to think an insurance regulator can understand the complexity of travel risk for customers”.

Reed concluded by saying that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) needed to be less complacent about the insurance sector, suggesting the market requires hands-on regulation to make sure firms are handling claims properly.