International Travel & Health Insurance Journal

UK price comparison site MoneySuperMarket has added travel insurance to its ‎ChatGPT app, giving customers the ability to access coverage through conversation with ‎artificial intelligence (AI).‎ The app, available through ChatGPT’s plug-in directory, was launched in April, with UK customers initially able to access car insurance, broadband, and banking ‎deals.‎ Once installed, the app can be accessed by typing @MoneySuperMarket at the start of ‎your prompt.‎ “People are increasingly using AI...

More than 100 holidaymakers were forced to abandon a tourist boat in Turkey after a fire broke out during a children’s excursion in Fethiye. The vessel, Imparator, was carrying 115 passengers when flames reportedly broke out in the kitchen of the children-focused Toys Boat at around 11am in Katrancı Bay, according to reports.

Record-breaking rainfall in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture has provided a stark example of how extreme weather can disrupt a journey even when flights themselves continue to operate. More than 360mm of rain fell in parts of Chiba in 24 hours, while Chiba City recorded 115mm in a single hour. Flooding and landslides disrupted roads and railways, cut power to tens of thousands of households, and prompted Japan’s highest-level heavy rain warning.

Global airline capacity is up 2.6% year on year in August 2026, adding 14.2 million seats, but uneven regional trends could create a more complex risk environment for travel insurers, based on figures from travel data provider OAG. The Middle East remains the biggest disruption hotspot, with capacity down 1.47 million seats, or 5.7%, compared with August 2025.

Global travel and tourism investment exceeded US$1 trillion in 2025, rising 8.5% year on year, as the sector contributed a record $11.6 trillion to global GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest Economic Impact Research Global Trends Report. The findings underline the role of investment, infrastructure, and government policy in supporting travel growth – developments with implications for business travel, international connectivity, and the insurance market.

The US decision to make its visa-bond programme permanent could create additional challenges for travel insurers and assistance providers supporting customers travelling for treatment or emergency care. Under rules effective from 3 August, applicants from 50 countries, including 30 in Africa, who are otherwise eligible for B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas may be required to post a bond of up to US$20,000.

A volcanic ash cloud from Sicily’s Mount Etna disrupted flights to Malta on Tuesday, 11 August, highlighting how an eruption hundreds of kilometres away can create travel and healthcare consequences. Malta International Airport said 19 flights had been cancelled by mid-afternoon, while others faced significant delays. The airport is about 220km south of Etna, whose renewed activity also prompted Sicily’s Catania Airport to suspend arrivals and departures until 11am Wednesday.

Gant Travel Management has announced the launch of the Gant Self-Service Platform, a digital solution designed to support business travellers. The platform serves as a unified destination for travel resources and support which the traveller requires throughout their journey, including details about upcoming trips, invoices, profile information, travel insights, and other travel details.

China has introduced new regulations aimed at strengthening overseas travel risk management, with authorities set to issue more structured travel security alerts and guidance for citizens travelling abroad. The 19-article regulation, which takes effect on 15 September, establishes a framework for issuing travel warnings based on factors including armed conflict, terrorism, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and deteriorating security conditions.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which occurred at around 7:30am local time on 10 August, has caused significant damage in western Colombia. The epicentre of the quake was in San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region. The earthquake has reportedly left at least 164 people dead as of 11 August – with that figure expected to rise as emergency response efforts continue. At least 480 more people are believed to have been injured.