Cross-border connectivity with eSIMs

A few numbers, to begin with: 44 million travelers flew from the United States of America to Europe in 2025.¹ This is expected to rise to 46.3 million in 2026, and is estimated to be 51.6 million by 2030.²

North America saw its own influx in 2026, with the World Cup pulling travelers from around the globe. Indeed, 82% of Europeans plan to travel by the end of summer 2026, found a recent survey on that continent.³ This is up 10% from the year before, with younger people driving the surge: the urge to travel in the 18–24 segment went up by 21%.⁴ Given the complex geopolitical situation and the high price of travel currently, this might come as a surprise. But to industry watchers, the underlying trends have been clear for a while now. 

Lifestyle choices, changes in the way people work, and an ever-increasing range of attractive options worldwide are contributing to a surge of interest in travel. Among others, frequent business travelers, digital nomads, international students, and vacationers are on the move, and they want to stay connected while they’re away. 

However, it is also true that for many people with long-standing contracts, roaming can be expensive. You could theoretically buy a new SIM card – and spend time getting it operational – in every place you travel to. But that adds a layer of complexity to travel, especially to those increasingly accustomed to digital-first journeys that don’t inconvenience them. 

Thankfully, travel eSIMs offer travelers exactly the sort of seamless cross-border connectivity they expect, at a lower price point than traditional roaming. Further, the service is available instantly, as a service from places they trust: their digital wallet, for instance, or an integrated workspace at their place of employment. This brings security and convenience to the table. And who doesn’t want that? 

Travel and the eSIM

More and more phones and other devices worldwide come with eSIM technology as a feature. Major phone manufacturers have adopted the standard. Market support has followed suit. Two events in 2025 were significant: Apple extended its flagship eSIM-only model to global markets, and Chinese operators released eSIM for smartphones, where previously they were seen only in the IoT space, and in wearables.⁵ Global eSIM penetration was at 12.8% at the end of 2025; it is projected to more than double, to 26.7%, by 2030.⁶

The biggest tech barrier to using a travel eSIM – the lack of an eSIM-enabled phone – is increasingly not an issue. The advantages of an eSIM are well-documented, and include: 

• Easy activation. You can download a profile anywhere, and provision it almost instantly. Of course, your device needs to be eSIM-compatible.
• Easy to use. Manage it yourself and select the plan that best suits your needs. This includes canceling or upgrading as you require.
• High availability. Globally, networks are approaching 100% uptime.
• More flexibility. In most cases – and if your phone allows – you can use both your existing SIM and the travel eSIM at the same time. 

Low cost is a key differentiator. In fact, eSIM packages targeting travelers compete to offer good rates. This is of particular relevance to a segment the industry calls “silent roamers”; those who turn their mobile data off when abroad, to minimize paying roaming charges. Over 37% of mobile network operators (MNOs) who responded to a survey stated that more than 50% of their subscribers stayed “silent” when roaming.⁷

Affordable and stress-free roaming that is actually available as and when you require? Of course people are signing up.

New use cases for businesses

This isn’t of interest only to telecommunications players. Payment service providers, fintechs, and other businesses have moved in. Bandwidth is easily available, and prices are falling due to expanding capacity, enabling new players to enter the market. Nimble and flexible entities with a digital-first outlook recognize the opportunities travel eSIMs bring.

Fintechs such as Revolut, N26, and Klarna have rolled out their own eSIM offerings, including competitive travel deals. For users of their digital wallets, these leverage both trust and convenience: the eSIM can be added and managed from within the digital wallet. Keeping the user within the wallet has many benefits, including building and monetizing the larger ecosystem a traveler requires. This includes travel insurance, plane tickets, concierge services, deals on meals and attractions – the list goes on. These services are scalable and add measurable value to both the user experience and the provider’s bottom line.

For large enterprises with employees that require travel, eSIM packages could be add-ons to other services such as ticketing, delivered via a click on an integrated workspace. Again, trust and convenience are the critical factors for users, while an expanded list of services to employees is a win-win for enterprises.

A more positive customer relationship is a direct benefit.