COMPANY NEWS · FOR TRAVEL PROVIDERSITB Asia 2026 · Singapore · 21–23 October
At ITB Asia 2026 in Singapore, held from 21–23 October, Health4Travel CEO Marko Kauppinen and Manager Daniel met the people who arrange travel: tour operators, DMCs, hotel chains, airlines and travel agencies. The conversations turned to a part of the customer journey these businesses rarely own: the traveller’s health.
What the ITB Asia conversations brought into focus
Travel providers typically partner with travel insurers. The traveller buys a policy, and the provider earns ancillary revenue. But in that model, no care is arranged, safety is not assured, and the health journey is generally not part of the service the traveller experiences.
Health4Travel’s discussions centred on bringing that question into the travel offering itself: how agencies, hotels and airlines can provide better duty of care, raise customer experience and satisfaction, and take traveller safety and health into their own hands.
What the conversations confirmed
- Health is rarely part of the service travel providers offer today.
- Insurance alone does not give the traveller access to care when they need it.
- Providers are interested in taking ownership of duty of care and the traveller experience.
From ancillary product to add-on
Healthcare access is more than a pure ancillary product for these stakeholders. A better fit is an add-on: the provider gives its travellers access to care before, during and after the trip, as part of the service they already trust. Health moves from a policy sold at checkout to support the traveller can actually use while away.
Integration and Revenue Opportunities
For airlines, tour operators, booking platforms, travel agencies and DMCs, there are four ways to bring Health4Travel into the customer journey. Each keeps the provider in control of the experience, while Health4Travel handles the technical side.
a) Add-on in the booking journey
How it works: Once the booking is complete, the traveller can buy time-based access to Health4Travel. This opens our app for medical appointment availability, prices and booking.
The benefit: The provider earns direct revenue and extends its service offering; the traveller gets direct access to local healthcare, something insurance products do not cover.
b) Extra benefit in membership bundles
How it works: Airlines and other providers already use memberships to offer services and discounts. Health4Travel can extend that offer into a new area: health.
The benefit: Members receive a practical new benefit, and the membership becomes more relevant to the trips they take.
c) Ancillary revenue via QR codes or links
How it works: A QR code or backlink gives travellers immediate access to our medical provider network.
The benefit: No coordination or operational change is needed; revenue is earned through tracked bookings.
d) Customised membership app
How it works: Outsource the development and technical integration to Health4Travel, and give customers worldwide access to healthcare from the palm of their hand.
The benefit: Your team focuses on exceptional customer care and gains a clear differentiator in the market.
Revenue models and commercial terms are open to discussion and agreed individually with each partner. Book a meeting to explore which option fits your business.
An illustrative traveller journey
- Booking: the traveller books a trip, flight or stay with the provider.
- Adding access: at checkout, through a membership or via a QR code or link, they gain access to Health4Travel.
- Before the trip: they can see how to find care at the destination.
- During the trip: with a minor health concern, they check doctor availability and prices nearby and book an appointment.
- After the trip: they know where follow-up support can be found.
This is an illustrative scenario, not a specific customer case; available support depends on the partner’s arrangements and location.
An industry conversation worth continuing
ITB Asia offered a valuable chance to exchange ideas with people who shape how the world travels. Those conversations help identify overlooked parts of the customer journey and where services could work together more effectively.
The same network that insurers and global assistance companies already rely on can now extend to the businesses that arrange the trip itself. Continuing this discussion can support a travel industry that is more customer-centred and accessible, while each provider chooses the approach that suits its operations and obligations.