Business travel is returning in value but with a more volatile risk profile, reshaping demand for corporate travel insurance, assistance and risk management, according to new research from Zurich.
The insurer’s report, Business Travel Outlook 2026 – How to navigate a new era of disruption, is based on responses from 4,000 international business travellers across five continents and eight countries. It found that disruption has effectively become routine, with 80% of respondents having experienced at least one disruption while travelling for work in 2025, and 53% having encountered an incident or emergency on a business trip.
These events increasingly extend beyond traditional travel issues such as delays and lost luggage. One in five travellers reported exposure to natural disasters, geopolitical threats or social unrest, and 43% said they feel less safe travelling for business than they used to. That trend points to growing relevance for coverages and services linked to political risk, security evacuation, natural catastrophe response and crisis support, alongside core medical evacuation and repatriation benefits.
The survey also highlighted a generational divide in preparedness and confidence. Younger employees, particularly Gen Z, are less sure how to respond in an emergency abroad and more likely to report mental health concerns while travelling. Zurich noted that 26% of all respondents, and 32% of Gen Z respondents, are unsure or do not know what to do in an emergency overseas.
Younger travellers also tend to be more mobile and more inclined to mix business and leisure on a single trip. According to the research, 81% of respondents plan to combine business and leisure travel in 2026.
This “bleisure” pattern can create grey areas for insurers and employers if policies and assistance frameworks do not clearly define when corporate cover applies and when responsibility shifts to personal insurance. Side trips, extended stays and remote‑working days attached to business journeys are all potential pinch points if not explicitly addressed in policy wordings, Zurich said.
The research also drew a direct link between perceived travel safety and employee retention. Nearly three in five travellers (58%) believe their employer could do more to ensure their safety on business trips, while 60% said they would consider leaving their job if they felt that safety when travelling was not a priority.
“As business travel enters a new era of rapid change and greater complexity, the need for proactive support for business travellers has never been greater,” said Cara Morton, CEO global businesses and operations at Zurich. “Disruptions, safety concerns and shifting employee expectations are shaping today’s travel landscape. Business leaders must invest in tailored travel protection to prioritize employee well‑being. Taking decisive steps will help safeguard the travelling workforce, retain top talent, and strengthen organizational resilience.”
Corporate travel insurance and assistance are therefore increasingly part of a wider duty‑of‑care and people strategy, rather than a back‑office procurement item. Employers are under pressure from regulators, investors and staff to demonstrate robust travel risk management, particularly for higher‑risk destinations.
Zurich’s findings also sit against a mixed backdrop for business travel. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) expects global business travel spending to reach about US$1.57 trillion in 2025 – above pre‑pandemic levels in nominal terms and on track to exceed US$2 trillion by 2029 – but noted that, adjusted for inflation, travel volumes remain below 2019. More recent GBTA polling has also pointed to caution among travel managers, with a sizable minority expecting volumes and budgets to come under pressure amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
For insurers and intermediaries, that combination means higher headline exposure but also a greater likelihood of disruption and incident on each trip.
In response, many travel and accident & health underwriters have been expanding non‑medical benefits and assistance triggers, enhancing areas such as security evacuation, natural catastrophe response, crisis counseling and mental health support. Assistance providers are investing in real‑time alerts, geo‑tracking and app‑based emergency tools to guide travellers who may not have clear instructions from their employer.
The mental health dimension highlighted by Zurich, particularly for younger staff, is also relevant for life and disability insurers. More frequent travel, heightened anxiety and exposure to disruptive events can flow through into claims on group life, long‑term disability and employee assistance programs.
Some carriers are starting to align travel protection more closely with broader well‑being offerings, bundling virtual care, counseling and resilience tools alongside traditional travel insurance and assistance.
Taken together, the survey and wider market data suggest that travel insurance and assistance are shifting from a narrow transactional cover toward a more strategic component of corporate risk and people management.
Updating products, wordings and risk management frameworks to reflect how and why people travel today is likely to become a key differentiator for insurers, brokers and employers.
