DOA Underwriting has introduced Prestige Cover, a premium tier on its SunWorld Travel Insurance platform aimed at brokers serving higher‑value travellers and private clients in an increasingly service‑driven market.
The launch comes as UK travel insurers face a mix of higher claims payouts, regulatory scrutiny and shifting customer expectations, pushing intermediaries to compete more on coverage quality, service and claims performance than on price alone.
New tier targets higher‑value and complex risks
The Prestige tier offers higher cover limits, enhanced benefits as standard and a dedicated claims experience. The product has been developed in response to broker demand for travel solutions that pair broader benefits and higher limits with underwriting support and a clearly defined service model.
Jack Hines, head of personal lines at DOA Underwriting, said the firm had identified a gap in how the market serves private clients and advised travellers.
“We’ve seen a clear opportunity in the market for a travel insurance product that truly reflects the needs of private clients and the brokers who advise them. Our new Prestige Cover tier has been carefully designed to offer higher limits, meaningful enhancements and a premium service experience that brokers can confidently recommend to their clients,” he said.
Market backdrop: claims, pricing and pressure
The move lands amid a period of pressure and change in UK travel insurance. Recent ABI figures, released in August last year, showed travel insurance payouts exceeded £470 million in 2024, highlighting the scale of recent claims activity. At the same time, consumer advocates have called for a crackdown on home and travel insurers over low claims payouts, and the sector faces a rare super‑complaint, filed by Which? in September 2025, over what were described as “broken” home and travel markets.
On pricing, analysis reported by Insurance Business showed annual multi‑trip travel insurance costs falling, pointing to softening in at least part of the market and intensifying competition on rate. In this context, products that differentiate on limits, benefits and service are drawing greater broker interest.
Brokers reassessing travel as a strategic line
Broker‑focused research on travel and catastrophe lines indicates that travel insurance remains “a significant opportunity for brokers yet remains underexplored by many”, spanning corporate travel, leisure and expatriate assignments. Insurers have historically restricted some leisure travel cover, particularly for employees’ families, creating advisory gaps brokers are looking to fill with more specialised propositions.
Across personal and commercial lines, broker priorities are also evolving. Fast turnaround for new business and claims is now ranked ahead of product innovation and training, while 85% of brokers say they want to enhance operations with digital or automated processes to improve service and competitiveness. In travel specifically, brokers are calling for fast, transparent quoting, clear underwriting criteria, streamlined documentation and clearer claims guidance, alongside tailored training and flexible commission structures.
Prestige Cover is now live and available via the SunWorld Travel Insurance system, providing brokers with digital access to the new tier.
