Indians abroad this winter: The new age of ‘prepared travel’

Her parents were finally visiting her in Toronto. After three years of video calls and postponed plans, they were coming for Christmas. Two days before their flight, her father developed a mild fever. Nothing alarming. Probably seasonal flu. But she panicked in a way she wouldn’t have five years ago. Should they postpone the trip? What if he needed medical care in Canada? Would their travel insurance cover this? Would it be considered a pre-existing condition since the fever started before departure? She spent the night doing what many Indians travelling abroad now do: reading insurance clauses, calculating hospital costs in dollars, and building backup plans for backup plans.

This is the new age of prepared travel where international trips are no longer just about tickets and luggage, but about health readiness, financial buffers, and contingency thinking.

The Anxiety That Didn’t Leave After COVID

The pandemic may have faded from airport signage, but it permanently changed how Indians view overseas travel. Health scares feel closer now. Climate events are more unpredictable. Disruptions are more frequent. From sudden cold waves in North America to air quality alerts in Europe, travellers are learning that global mobility now comes with layered risks. What used to feel like overthinking like insurance riders, medical disclosures, emergency planning has quietly become common sense.

Health Readiness Is No Longer Optional

Ask Amit, who fell ill during a work trip to London last winter. An ER visit, tests, and overnight observation cost nearly £2,800. His insurance covered most of it but only after hours of calls and clarifications around medical disclosures he hadn’t taken seriously enough. Insurance is no longer a checkbox. It’s a system you need to understand before something goes wrong. Experienced travellers are now opting for realistic coverage of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore for developed countries because a single hospital night abroad can wipe out years of savings. Many are also doing pre-trip health check-ups, carrying detailed prescriptions, and ensuring medication redundancy across bags.

Climate Is the New Travel Risk

Radhika’s Iceland trip looked magical on Instagram. What it didn’t show was her father-in-law’s hypothermia scare after just an hour outdoors in sub-zero temperatures. For many Indians, extreme cold isn’t intuitive. Ten degrees feels cold in Mumbai. Minus fifteen is a different kind of danger altogether especially for seniors. From heatwaves in Europe to unexpected snowfall, climate volatility is reshaping travel planning. Weather is no longer a backdrop. It’s a central variable. 

The Insurance Evolution (and Its Fine Print)

Travel insurance itself has changed. Policies now offer coverage for climate disruptions, emergency evacuations, infectious diseases, and even mental health support. But most of this sits beyond basic plans. The cheapest policy rarely offers meaningful protection. Prepared travellers are choosing flexibility, add-ons, and clarity over cost-cutting. They know that the real value of insurance isn’t reimbursement—it’s decision-making freedom during a crisis.

What Prepared Travel Actually Looks Like Today

Prepared Indian travellers are doing a few things differently:

They research beyond hotels by checking weather patterns, health advisories, and local conditions.
They carry digital and physical copies of every critical document.
They plan financial redundancy like multiple cards, emergency funds, and insurance-backed confidence.
They choose refundable bookings when possible, valuing flexibility over savings.

Prepared travel isn’t about expecting disaster. It’s about creating enough safety and clarity that you can still enjoy the journey. The goal isn’t to eliminate risk. It’s to contain it so that when the unexpected happens, it doesn’t take the joy, dignity, or financial stability along with it.

(Views are personal; the author is Joint Chairman and MD at BajajCapital Ltd)