The eSIM is no longer just an accessory for savvy travelers. It's becoming an integral part of the booking process, with potentially significant consequences for the entire travel chain. For tourism professionals, this is no longer a niche technology. It now impacts customer experience, distribution, and the added value of their offerings.
The clearest signal has come in recent weeks from two sides of the market. On one side, Scandinavian Airlines is offering a travel eSIM with two days of data included on certain bookings. On the other, Holafly, one of the sector's specialists, is acknowledging that it no longer wants to sell just gigabytes but a promise of peace of mind. According to the specialized press, this is precisely where the battle begins.
Summary
The eSIM changes status during the trip
Until now, travel eSIMs were primarily sold as an add-on. Travelers would book their flight or trip first, and then think about connectivity. This model is starting to change. When an airline integrates an eSIM directly into the ticket, connectivity is no longer sold separately. It becomes an integral part of the trip itself.
SAS is promoting a free eSIM on eligible bookings, with activation upon arrival and coverage in numerous destinations. This approach reduces friction at departure time and further normalizes the idea that being connected upon landing is now part of the expected service.
For agencies, tour operators, OTAs, and travel managers, the consequence is simple: if the eSIM is already integrated upstream, the point of sale changes. And when the point of sale changes, all the perceived value can shift with it.
Holafly is trying to escape the trap of being just a data seller
In an interview with Mobile Industry Review, Alfonso Mata Villa, Head of Strategy at Holafly, defends a clear position: the company does not want to get involved in a data volume race. His argument is that mobile data is already becoming commonplace and that the real issue is reassuring travelers, ease of use, seamless activation, and support in case of problems.
This stance is not insignificant. It shows that even industry specialists recognize that differentiation based on price or data allowance is becoming increasingly fragile. Holafly, for its part, continues to promote unlimited plans in over 200 destinations, as well as services like Always On, presented as a backup solution with 1 GB of backup data included in some cases.
In other words, the eSIM battle is no longer just about connectivity. It's about stress-free travel.
Why the eSIM market is becoming more competitive
The pressure also stems from the overall evolution of the market. The GSMA indicated in spring 2026 that global eSIM penetration on smartphones had reached 5% by the end of 2025 and was expected to rise to 10% by the end of 2026. Apple, for its part, continues to integrate eSIM into its standard activation processes on compatible iPhones, which helps to normalize its use among the general public.
Meanwhile, competition is intensifying. Juniper Research estimates that the average revenue per gigabyte on travel eSIMs fell to $2.78 in 2025, compared to $3.20 in 2023. This decline reflects increasing pressure on margins in a market where specialist players, traditional operators, and now some travel distributors are increasingly finding themselves on the same playing field.
The issue is therefore no longer theoretical. If connectivity becomes a benefit included in the ticket, in the carrier's application or in a travel package, the players who mainly lived off standalone eSIM purchases will have to defend something other than data.
What this changes for tourism professionals
For the travel sector, eSIM can become a true indicator of service quality. It helps reassure customers before departure, improves their autonomy upon arrival, and streamlines access to vouchers, messaging, transfers, check-in, and on-site support.
This shift is strategic. eSIM can now be considered an integral part of the travel experience, just like a transfer, insurance, or assistance service. For long-haul flights, corporate travel, group bookings, tours, or premium stays, it can also become a key differentiator in the market.
The risk, however, is real for players who control neither the booking process nor the mobile relationship with the customer. If the airline, OTA, or mobility provider captures this point of contact first, the room for maneuver is reduced for other intermediaries.
A small option that can have big effects
The real question may not be whether Holafly, Airalo, or others will disappear. The real question is understanding where the value will shift. In the coming years, the winners could be those who make connectivity virtually invisible, easy to activate, reliable, well-integrated, and useful from the very first moments of the journey.
For French tourism professionals, the eSIM is no longer a mere technical detail. It's a new customer touchpoint, a tool for building trust, and perhaps tomorrow a standard for package holidays. And if it becomes free with the ticket, a portion of the market will clearly have to rethink its approach.
Sources
- https://www.mobileindustryreview.com/holaflys-head-of-strategy-on-what-happens-when-the-esim-comes-free-with-the-ticket/
- https://www.flysas.com/en/travel-extras/travelesim
- https://www.travolution.com/news/sas-adds-complimentary-in-app-esim-to-every-booking-with-hubby/
- https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/esim/gsma_resources/esim-mass-market-deployment-moves-from-forecast-to-fact/
- https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118669
- https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/travel-esim-margins-under-pressure-as-revenue-falls/
- https://esim.holafly.com/always-on/
- https://esim.holafly.com/
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