Why travel companies are moving beyond flight tickets and hotel bookings to offer seamless mobile connectivity to global travellers

For years, international travellers have treated mobile connectivity as an expense to figure out after booking their flights and hotels. Whether buying a local SIM card on arrival, activating an expensive roaming package or searching for airport Wi-Fi, staying connected has often been an inconvenient part of the journey.

That is beginning to change. As travel becomes increasingly digital, airlines, hotels and online travel agencies (OTAs) are looking at mobile connectivity as an extension of their core services, with eSIM technology opening up new ways to serve customers and generate revenue.

The shift is also attracting investment in the infrastructure behind these services. Netherlands-based Braid recently raised $38 million in a Series A funding round led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from KPN Ventures. The funding marks the company's first external capital since it was founded in 2023 by Jignesh Dave, Vishal Dave and Mitesh Popat. Braid provides an embedded connectivity platform that enables businesses to offer branded mobile services through a single API, connecting them with hundreds of carriers across more than 200 countries. The company has a presence in India, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and serves nearly 90 enterprise customers across travel and fintech.

The growing appeal of travel eSIMs

An eSIM is a digital SIM embedded in a compatible device that can be activated without inserting a physical card. For international travellers, it offers the flexibility to purchase a data plan before departure and connect to a local network after landing.

The demand for seamless travel experiences is also reflected in MakeMyTrip's research. Its How India Travels Abroad report found that the number of Indians taking two or more international trips annually increased by 32% between June 2023 and May 2024, compared with the preceding year. The report also highlighted growing interest in destinations beyond traditional favourites, including Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Bhutan.

As international travel becomes more frequent, travellers have more opportunities to encounter roaming charges, unfamiliar SIM providers and connectivity issues. This creates an opening for travel companies to offer data packages as part of the booking journey rather than leaving customers to arrange them independently.

Industry research points to a growing commercial opportunity. GSMA Intelligence found that 51% of eSIM users surveyed across 11 countries had used the technology while travelling abroad for leisure or personal reasons in the preceding 12 months. Juniper Research estimated that travel eSIM revenues would reach $1.8 billion in 2025, reflecting the growing appeal of convenient and competitively priced connectivity.

From booking add-on to branded service

For travel companies, connectivity offers an opportunity to improve the customer experience while creating an additional revenue stream. An airline could offer a destination-specific data package during ticket checkout. A hotel could provide guests with connectivity alongside airport transfers and other arrival services. An OTA could bundle mobile data into a holiday package, giving customers one less task to manage before departure.

A 2025 BICS survey of online travel companies found that 67% of respondents offered travel eSIMs through bundled packages. More than a quarter said travel eSIMs accounted for over 20% of their business. Jignesh Dave said in a statement that the platform empowers brands to launch connectivity services in minutes, strengthen customer loyalty and unlock new revenue opportunities.

A growing market with established players

The opportunity has attracted companies looking to simplify international connectivity and make it available through consumer-facing brands. Airalo, founded in 2019, has built a global travel eSIM business with more than 20 million users. The company reached a $1 billion valuation in July 2025 and has raised nearly $287 million to date. Roamless is another player pursuing the embedded connectivity opportunity. It raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Rasmal Ventures in December 2025. Its strategy includes enabling airlines, travel agencies, financial institutions and superapps to incorporate connectivity into their own offerings.

The technology behind the experience

Offering mobile connectivity has traditionally required telecom partnerships, network agreements, regulatory considerations and substantial technical investment. Embedded connectivity platforms are changing the equation by allowing businesses to integrate SIM and eSIM services into existing apps and booking systems through APIs, without becoming telecom operators themselves.

For travel brands, this means they can focus on customer experience while specialist providers manage the underlying network connections.

A new competitive advantage for travel brands

Connectivity is unlikely to replace the fundamentals of travel. Competitive fares, comfortable accommodation and reliable service will continue to matter. But as more of the journey moves onto smartphones, the ability to keep customers connected could become a meaningful differentiator.

For travel companies, the opportunity extends beyond selling data. It is about reducing friction, building stronger customer relationships and making the entire journey feel more connected, from the moment a booking is made to the return home.