Travel Guard Seeks to Identify the World’s Unluckiest Traveler® of 2025

Grand Prize Winner receives $10,000 cash prize: entries open on October 7

 

HOUSTON (October 7, 2025) – Did you stay for a week in a hotel room right next to the boiler room? Did your lucky hat get eaten at a local petting zoo? Did a translation error with your rideshare driver result in getting dropped off at a funeral parlor instead of the ice-cream parlor? As one of the leading travel insurance providers in the world, Travel Guard, part of Zurich Cover-More, has heard almost every conceivable travel nightmare. And this autumn, they’re hosting a contest and sweepstakes to identify the all-time worst. 

 

The World’s Unluckiest Traveler promotion is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada1 and will be open for contest entries from October 7 to November 12. Entrants can submit either a video or photo, along with the accompanying story describing their epic travel calamity. A three-week voting period will then commence on November 13, 2025, allowing the public to vote (once per day) for their favorite entry. Entrants can share their submissions across social media to encourage votes.

 

Winners will be chosen based on vote volume, with the grand prize of $10,000 going to the submission with the highest number of votes. The entrants that receive the second, third and fourth highest number of votes will also be awarded prizes. There’s even something in it for the voters, as a randomly selected voter will be chosen to receive a sweepstakes prize of a GoPro® action camera and kit2.

 

“Travel Guard encourages travelers to protect their trips – and themselves – but we know that things don’t always go according to plan,” said Jeff Rutledge, CEO, Zurich Cover-More. “The World’s Unluckiest Traveler was launched to recognize those who have endured the worst in pursuit of their love of travel and to highlight the sort of mishaps that might make a travel insurance plan worth considering.”

 

For contest rules, visit www.worldsunluckiesttraveler.com. Promotion entries can be submitted on the same site starting October 7, 2025, at 9 a.m. Central Daylight Time.

 

For more information about Travel Guard, its products and services, visit www.travelguard.com or follow Travel Guard on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

 

1The Promotion is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry, and residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 19 years of age or older at the time of entry. The promotion is not available where prohibited by applicable law.

 

2GoPro, HERO and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. GoPro is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

 

About Travel Guard

Travel Guard meets the diverse needs of leisure and corporate travelers alike through its comprehensive portfolio of travel insurance plans and assistance services as well as a network of experienced providers. With global service centers placed strategically around the globe, our 24/7 multilingual team is always just a phone call away and ready to assist when our customers experience travel issues – from lost luggage or minor travel inconveniences to medical emergencies or life-threatening events. We help customers recover from travel disruptions and enjoy their journeys knowing Travel Guard has their back every step of the way. Learn more at www.travelguard.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.