World First Travel Insurance
World First Travel Insurance (trading brand of Rothwell & Towler Ltd) is a UK direct-to-consumer travel insurance broker, founded 1973 and based in Exeter, specialising in cover for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions and active/adventure trips, distributing policies underwritten by Collinson Insurance and Astrenska Insurance across single-trip, annual, sports, cruise, and backpacker tiers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersExeter, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What World First Travel Insurance does
World First Travel Insurance is a trading brand of Rothwell & Towler Ltd, a UK-based direct-to-consumer travel insurance intermediary founded in 1973 and headquartered in Exeter with a London registered office. The company distributes travel insurance to UK residents with a stated focus on travellers with pre-existing medical conditions—a segment that mainstream insurers often decline or price punitively—and on active, adventure, and longstay travel. Its customer-facing platform centres on an online quote-and-purchase journey at secure.world-first.co.uk, augmented by phone-based medical screening and a referral network of specialist medical and adventure comparison sites including Free Spirit, Medical Travel Compared, InsureCancer, Sports Cover Direct, Adventures, battleface, High Risk Voyager, Voyager Insurance, and IMG Europe.
The product portfolio spans single-trip, annual multi-trip, backpacker/longstay, sports, and cruise policies structured across four tiers (Economy, Classic, Standard, Premier), with optional add-ons for gadget, winter sports, golf, and coronavirus cover. The firm operates as an FCA Appointed Representative of Crispin Speers & Partners Ltd, with policies underwritten primarily by Collinson Insurance and Astrenska Insurance; underwriting, policy administration, and claims are handled by those partner carriers' platforms rather than built in-house. The 11–50 employee headcount and the absence of disclosed funding rounds indicate a privately held, internally funded specialist broker.
Revenue is generated through commission on insurance premiums written by partner insurers, supplemented by contingent income tied to insurer volume and loss-ratio targets and by transactional fees on certain policy types. Customer acquisition blends direct digital traffic with a niche referral network that pre-qualifies medically complex or activity-specific prospects. Brand equity is evidenced by a Trustpilot rating of 4.7/5 across 10,000+ reviews, Defaqto 5 Star Ratings on Premier policies, and finalist status at the 2025 Insurance Choice Awards—all indicative of a mature, brand-defending posture rather than aggressive expansion.
World First Travel Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- World First Travel Insurance
- Legal name
- Rothwell & Towler Ltd
- Website
- https://world-first.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- World First Travel Insurance (trading brand of Rothwell & Towler Ltd) is a UK direct-to-consumer travel insurance broker, founded 1973 and based in Exeter, specialising in cover for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions and active/adventure trips, distributing policies underwritten by Collinson Insurance and Astrenska Insurance across single-trip, annual, sports, cruise, and backpacker tiers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
World First Travel Insurance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Insurance
- NAICS
- Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Carriers (5241)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Travel & Accident (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Travel Medical Insurance (Individual) (FSAIAEAI), Travel Insurance & Protection Products (Cruise-Specific) (THAEAFAL), Adventure Sports & High-Risk Activity Travel/Accident Insurance (FSAJAJAL), Baggage & Personal Effects Insurance (FSAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where World First Travel Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Exeter
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
World First Travel Insurance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Insurance Premium Commission: World First acts as an Appointed Representative of Crispin Speers & Partners Ltd and is remunerated through commission from insurers (Collinson Insurance/Astrenska Insurance) on placed insurance premiums. The company also earns contingent income based on meeting insurer targets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Four-tier policy structure: Economy, Classic, Standard, Premier |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
World First Travel Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
World First Travel Insurance is an insurance intermediary that sells UK travel insurance policies directly to consumers through an online quote portal and phone-based sales team. The portfolio includes single trip, annual multi-trip, backpacker/longstay, sports and activities, cruise, and medical travel insurance products, with policies underwritten by Collinson Insurance (Astrenska Insurance Limited) and administered by Rothwell & Towler Ltd.
Product overview
World First Travel Insurance is a multi-product travel insurance provider offering four distinct core products: Single Trip (for one-off journeys, ages up to 100), Annual Multi-Trip (unlimited trips up to 31 days each, ages 18-74), Backpacker/Longstay (up to 558 days, ages up to 55), and Medical Travel Insurance (pre-existing conditions with screening). All core products come in four coverage tiers (Economy, Classic, Standard, Premier) with Premier receiving Defaqto 5 Star rating. Optional add-ons include Cruise Cover, Winter Sports, Golf Holiday, Gadget Cover, and Coronavirus Cover. The portfolio includes over 150 covered sports/activities as standard and specialist partner referrals for complex cases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single Trip Travel Insurance Travel insurance for one-off trips, covering UK travelers aged up to 100 with trip lengths from 3 days to 186 days (up to 31 days for ages 70-100). Offered in four tiers (Economy, Classic, Standard, Premier) with optional gadget, cruise, and winter sports extensions.
- Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance
- Medical Travel Insurance
- Backpacker and Longstay Travel Insurance
- Sports and Activities Travel Insurance
- Cruise Travel Insurance
- Coronavirus Travel Insurance Cover
- Gadget Cover
- Winter Sports Cover
- Golf Holiday Cover
- Specialist Partner Referral Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Cover for thousands of medical conditions subject to screening
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use World First Travel Insurance
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
World First Travel Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
World First Travel Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Crispin Speers & Partners LtdcoreWorld First (trading as Rothwell & Towler Ltd) is an Appointed Representative of Crispin Speers & Partners Ltd, who are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 311507). This is the core regulatory relationship enabling World First to sell travel insurance.
- Free SpiritminorSpecialist travel insurer for people with medical conditions and disabilities with no upper age limit; one of the UK's largest specialist providers for medical conditions including terminal conditions and those on waiting lists.
- Medical Travel ComparedminorComparison site for policies to people with medical conditions, comparing quotes from a panel of specialist insurers.
- InsureCancerminorSpecialist travel insurer for advanced cancer patients, covering active, metastatic, relapsed, or terminal cancer with individually underwritten policies.
- Sports Cover DirectminorSpecialist insurer for hazardous sports and activities, including activity top-up policies and sports accident insurance.
- AdventuresminorTailor-made insurance for activities including amateur sports, manual work, and hazardous pursuits.
- battlefaceminorCovers all destinations including countries under FCDO travel advisories, including war zones and crisis zones.
- High Risk VoyagerminorFlexible travel insurance for UK residents travelling to high-risk countries where FCDO has advised against travel.
- Voyager InsuranceminorTravel insurance for UK and certain EEA residents including those who have already left the UK.
- IMG EuropeminorInternational health and travel insurance for residents outside the European Economic Area, with 24/7 service centres in Europe and US.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
World First Travel Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aviva: Major UK general insurer offering travel insurance as part of a broad portfolio, competing in the same UK consumer market with deeper financial resources and broader brand reach.
Direct peers
- Staysure: UK direct-to-consumer travel insurance specialist targeting over-50s and travelers with medical conditions, with similar online quote flow and product tiers to World First.
- Holiday Extras: UK travel insurance and ancillary travel products provider offering single trip, annual, and specialist cover through a similar direct-to-consumer online model.
- Avanti Travel Insurance: UK family-run travel insurance broker operating a similar direct-to-consumer model with focus on medical condition cover and customer-friendly positioning.
- InsureAndGo: UK travel insurance provider offering single trip, annual, and backpacker policies with comparable coverage tiers and a similar customer demographic focus.
- Saga: UK insurer specializing in travel insurance for over-50s, with comparable age-extended coverage and medical condition underwriting capabilities.
- Coverwise: UK travel insurance intermediary offering single trip, annual, and specialist policies with similar product structure and pricing tiers to World First.
- AllClear Travel: UK specialist travel insurer focused on pre-existing medical conditions, directly competing with World First's core medical screening value proposition.
Others
- Compare the Market: UK price comparison platform that lists multiple travel insurance providers, acting as both a customer acquisition channel and competitive pressure on broker intermediation.
- Direct Line Group: Large UK personal lines insurer with travel insurance products sold alongside home and motor, representing a broad incumbent competitor with significant marketing scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
World First Travel Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceWorld First Travel Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
World First Travel Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
World First Travel Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
World First Travel Insurance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about World First Travel Insurance
What does World First Travel Insurance do?
World First Travel Insurance is an insurance intermediary that sells UK travel insurance policies directly to consumers through an online quote portal and phone-based sales team. The portfolio includes single trip, annual multi-trip, backpacker/longstay, sports and activities, cruise, and medical travel insurance products, with policies underwritten by Collinson Insurance (Astrenska Insurance Limited) and administered by Rothwell & Towler Ltd.
Is World First Travel Insurance a public or private company?
World First Travel Insurance is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was World First Travel Insurance founded?
World First Travel Insurance was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is World First Travel Insurance based?
World First Travel Insurance is headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does World First Travel Insurance make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Premium Commission.
Who are World First Travel Insurance's main competitors?
Aviva is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Staysure, Holiday Extras, Avanti Travel Insurance, InsureAndGo, Saga, Coverwise and AllClear Travel. Others are Compare the Market and Direct Line Group.
Does World First Travel Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for World First Travel Insurance.
What industry is World First Travel Insurance in?
World First Travel Insurance's product category is Travel Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAMAN, Travel & Accident (Non-Life) Insurance, with a secondary code of FSAIAEAI, Travel Medical Insurance (Individual). Its NAICS code is 5242 and its SIC code is 6411.