ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - AXA Assistance

GLOBAL EXPERTISE
IN THE NEW WORLD
OF TRAVEL
Travel is now a fact of life, whether you’re
travelling on business or for pleasure.
In responding to the new needs of its customers,
wherever they’re going and wherever they come
from, AXA Assistance innovation offers them
extended worldwide coverage.
Jesus Carmona Director of the Travel Business Line
ravel insurance isn’t what it used to be: it now
goes a great deal further! Recent natural
events, like the Icelandic volcano eruption of
2010 and the disruption that resulted from its
ash cloud, have driven the introduction of new covers
every year. Products are also being introduced
to complement and strengthen the traditional offer
with personal safety services and others that deliver
greater convenience, such as concierge services.
At the same time, technology is revolutionising just
about everything, with the introduction of mobile
phone apps and insurance quote comparison sites.
Travel insurance must adapt to all these new trends.
Another key parameter is the growth in travel to
emerging countries, with the emphasis on Asia and
South America. As people travel more and more for
business and pleasure, financial institutions are keen
to expand and enhance their offers. Lastly, globalisation
is already a reality for AXA Assistance customers,
especially for credit card providers, which are now
keen to identify a single partner that can offer global
coverage, worldwide support and the guarantee of
consistent service quality. “The organisational structure
of AXA Assistance is perfectly suited to responding
effectively to all these changes. Our international
model has proved just how effective
it can be, and is being rolled out further
every year. 2011 was a pivotal,
and very positive, year which saw the
practical implementation of efforts
undertaken by our teams since 2010,
especially in terms of securing our key
partnerships and winning prestigious
new contracts,” says Jesus Carmona,
Director of the Travel Business Line.
aCARDS: A LONGSTANDING
LEADERSHIP
For more than 2 decades, AXA
Assistance has been a major player
in the travel market, and is now the
leading provider of assistance
services to credit card issuers. “Our
offer combines travel insurance with
medical repatriation cover, as well as
a series of increasingly successful
additional options, such as concierge
services. Our working relationship with
some issuers dates back more than
25 years, so it’s fair to say that we’ve
30_AXA ASSISTANCEq2011 ANNUAL REPORT