As India’s outbound tourism continues to gain strong momentum, rising demand for international travel is being matched by growing challenges, including visa delays, stricter scrutiny, and financial exposure from advance bookings. In this evolving environment, Dev Karvat, Founder and CEO, ASEGO Global Assistance and Travel Insurance, said the company is addressing a critical gap with its Visa Rejection Protection product, offering travellers financial cover against visa-related cancellations and greater confidence at the pre-departure stage of travel.
According to industry estimates, India’s outbound travel is expected to cross 50 million international trips annually by 2030, driven by rising disposable incomes, easier global connectivity, and growing aspiration-led travel. At the same time, destinations like the Schengen region, the UK, the USA, and Canada continue to remain among the most preferred international markets for Indian travellers. Alongside this boom, another trend is rapidly emerging: increasing visa-related uncertainty.
Impact of Rising Visa Uncertainty
Over the past two years, travellers across key outbound destinations have faced mounting challenges, including visa appointment backlogs, longer processing timelines, stricter scrutiny, and higher documentation requirements. Reports across the travel industry have consistently highlighted months-long waiting periods for visa appointments in several countries during peak travel seasons. Growing geopolitical tensions and evolving global immigration sensitivities have further contributed to tighter screening processes and rising unpredictability around visa approvals. For travellers, the impact is not just emotional; it is financial.
The Financial Fallout of Visa Uncertainty
Today’s travellers are booking earlier than ever to lock in lower airfares and hotel prices. According to global travel booking trends, advance international bookings have increased significantly post-pandemic as customers seek to avoid volatility in travel and booking costs. However, this also means travellers are making substantial non-refundable payments before their visas are approved.
Flights, hotels, cruise bookings, activities, and internal transfers are often paid for weeks or even months in advance. In cases of visa rejection or denial, these expenses can quickly turn into unforeseen financial setbacks.
“Travel advisors are now managing customers who are not only concerned about the trip experience, but also about protecting the money invested before the journey even begins. As international travel becomes more documentation-driven, financial protection during the visa stage itself is emerging as a growing requirement,” said Dev Karvat.
A Safety Net from ASEGO
Recognising this shift, ASEGO has exclusively designed its Visa Rejection Protection Product, aimed at safeguarding travellers against visa-related cancellation losses. The protection provides coverage of USD 500 for visa-rejection-related trip-cancellation expenses. It also helps safeguard non-refundable hotel bookings, flight costs, and unused tour packages, reducing the financial burden caused by unexpected visa denials. The offering also includes ASEGO’s 24/7 Global Assistance, adding an additional support layer for travellers navigating international journeys.
Speaking on the growing need for such solutions, Dev mentioned, “International travel today starts much before departure. Travellers are committing significant amounts towards bookings even during the visa stage, and that has created a new layer of financial vulnerability. Visa uncertainty has become a genuine concern for both travellers and travel partners. With this solution, we wanted to create a practical protection layer that addresses a very real and growing gap in the travel ecosystem.”
Pre-Departure Protection – New Standard in Travel Planning
Industry experts believe products focused on pre-departure financial protection are likely to gain stronger traction in the coming years as outbound travel volumes continue to rise and visa processes remain increasingly dynamic.
Dev further noted, “For travel agents and tour operators, offerings like Visa Rejection Protection are increasingly becoming important trust-building tools. Beyond being an ancillary product, they enable travel advisors to deliver more responsible and customer-centric planning in an environment where uncertainty has become an integral part of modern travel.”
As global travel continues to rebound and international demand accelerates, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: for today’s traveller, protection is no longer expected only during the journey; it is expected from the moment the trip is planned.
