It all started with an initiative in 2008 by a trio of Brazilians sharing a room in London, United Kingdom. The following year, officially born in Brazilian lands, in Rio Grande do Sul, Real Seguro Viagem, the first travel insurance comparator in Brazil. In 2024, the company celebrates 15 years expanding the services offered, improving customer service, and reaching 1 million and 400 thousand travelers served.
In practice, it is a platform through which the traveler makes a quotation for travel insurance options. The person indicates origin and destination and expected dates of departure and return. The tool presents packages from various insurers, with anticipation of up to one year. Through Real Seguro Viagem itself, the traveler then chooses and purchases their package. It is worth noting that travel insurance is mandatory in various parts of the world, such as Europe, and recommended for general travel.
“The quoting process, presentation of options, and purchase of the package can be done by the customer in three minutes”, emphasizes the company’s operations director, Hugo Reichenbach – partner of Real Seguro Viagem. “The person compares the plans offered by the various partner insurers, both in terms of prices and benefits included, and chooses the option that best suits them,” adds the executive.
It is at this point – delivering options that meet specific needs for each type of traveler – one of the enhancements promoted by Real Seguro Viagem in its portfolio. The company has included plans that provide specific coverages for the elderly and pregnant women, as well as for sports travelers or those who will be traveling by motorcycle, for example. Also, plans with coverage for covid-19.
Further improvement is focused on customer service. The operations director notes that when it comes to insurance, many doubts linger among travelers, besides being seen as a bureaucratic item. “We created an app, called ‘Your,’ which puts the traveler in direct contact with the insurer. Ultimately, we work so that the person feels confident in buying the most suitable plan and knows what to do if they need to resort to insurance,” highlights Reichenbach.
This means, according to the executive, a constant investment in technology development. And although registered with CNPJ in Porto Alegre, since 2015 the company has embraced the concept of digital nomad. Thus, the team of professionals – composed of more than 40 collaborators – is spread across more than ten cities in Brazil.
Returning to the origin of everything: the first steps began in London, in 2008. At that time, Rafael Antonello, Diego Dias, and Gabriel Engel, on an exchange in the United Kingdom, were in need of travel insurance and had their first contact with online comparators. In 2009, that experiment turned into a company, founded by Rafael and Gabriel.
“We opened CNPJ, received authorization to operate, rented a very small room, and launched, in February 2009, the website of the first travel insurance comparator in Brazil,” recalls the operations director. “We will never forget the first sale through the site, on a Saturday morning of that same month,” he proudly states.
From here to there, there were important milestones. In 2012, Real launched an affiliate program to support travel bloggers. In 2015, the option to be a digital nomad. In 2019, it was selected for the Scale Up Endeavor, a program that boosts innovative ventures. Just the following year, a scare: the covid-19 pandemic, when the company tightened its belt but ensured the right to refund all customers who couldn’t travel because of the pandemic.
In 2020 is also when Hugo Reichenbach joins the partnership, initially working on the rebranding and restructuring of various processes. And in 2024, the growth continues, aligned with changes in the way people travel and tourism trends.
