There’s a quiet battle playing out in the world of travel connectivity right now. On one side, you’ve got outbound travelers — people leaving their home country in search of new destinations. On the other hand, inbound travelers — visitors arriving from abroad, expecting seamless connectivity the second they land. mobile operators eSIM strategy

For decades, mobile operators (MNOs) have built their roaming strategies around one or the other, often treating both as secondary revenue streams. But with eSIM adoption accelerating, that split is becoming critical. Operators who don’t understand the difference between inbound and outbound markets risk losing relevance (and revenue) to gIobal eSIM providers who already speak the traveler’s language: instant, affordable, borderless connectivity.

So let’s break it down — what’s at stake, why inbound and outbound travelers behave differently, what’s holding MNOs back, and what they need to do if they want to stay in the eSIM race.

Outbound Travelers: The Hunters of Value

Outbound travelers are the most familiar customer group for operators. These are your subscribers heading abroad — a German family vacationing in Spain, a Japanese business traveler flying into the U.S., or a Brazilian student spending a semester in Italy.

Traditionally, operators have relied on outbound roaming fees to drive a big chunk of profitability. Roaming revenue makes up 7 to 10% of operator revenues globally, and in Europe, even after the EU’s Roam Like At Home (RLAH) rules, it still represents 2 to 4% of revenues — but with very high profitability. Operators will not give this up easily.

For years, the model was simple: people turned on their phones abroad, and operators charged heavily for usage. That “bill shock” system worked while customers had few alternatives.

But outbound travelers today are savvy. They know they can avoid roaming fees by:

• Buying a local SIM at the airport.
• Using Wi-Fi for messaging and calls.
• Grabbing an eSIM online before they fly.

That last one — the rise of global travel eSIMs — is the real disruptor. Outbound travelers don’t want to waste time hunting for a kiosk. They want to hit “Download eSIM,” scan a QR code, and be connected by the time the plane taxis to the gate.

Players like Airalo, Holafly, and Airhub have built their entire business on this behavior. Their pitch is simple: stay connected anywhere, with no loyalty to a single operator.

For MNOs, the risk is clear: outbound subscribers are defecting before they even leave home. If your roaming bundle isn’t competitive, you don’t even make the shortlist.

Inbound Travelers: The Untapped Goldmine

Now flip the perspective. Inbound travelers are foreign visitors arriving in your market. Let’s say a group of Australians lands in Tokyo. What do they do?

• Some will have bought a travel eSIM before flying.
• Some still head to a kiosk for a prepaid SIM.
• Many just stick with their home operator’s roaming plan.

Here’s the issue: inbound travelers are often overlooked by operators. Most still think of roaming in terms of keeping their own subscribers happy abroad. But inbound is just as valuable. Every tourist, business traveler, or student arriving in your country is a potential short-term customer.

And once again, eSIM is changing the rules. Inbound travelers increasingly prefer a digital, no-fuss solution. They don’t want paperwork, queues, or fiddling with plastic SIMs. If your network doesn’t offer a tourist eSIM that’s easy to find and activate, someone else will.

Markets like Singapore are leading here, offering inbound tourist eSIMs online with flexible data bundles. Japan and South Korea are catching up fast. These examples show the opportunity: inbound connectivity isn’t a side business anymore — it’s a front-line revenue driver.

Why MNOs Are Struggling to Respond

If travel eSIMs are such a clear threat and opportunity, why aren’t mobile operators moving faster? The reasons are pretty telling:

1. They don’t know how to market outside their domestic turf.
   MNOs excel at marketing to home subscribers, but selling travel eSIMs across borders? That’s a different ballgame. And they know that any push into travel eSIM risks cannibalizing their own lucrative roaming packages.
2. Their IT departments are maxed out.
   Most operators are knee-deep in digital transformation projects — upgrading billing systems, rolling out 5G, building apps. They simply don’t have bandwidth for massive new projects like launching travel eSIM platforms.
3. International operators haven’t cracked the code.
   Even big players with global footprints (think Vodafone, Orange) have failed to build compelling cross-border travel offers. It’s complex, political, and operationally messy.
4. They’ll fight tooth and nail to protect big accounts.
   For large corporate clients, MNOs are already offering ad-hoc roaming discounts of 40–50% just to hold onto the business. That shows you how much pressure they feel from alternative providers.

All this makes it incredibly complex for operators to respond effectively. Travel eSIMs are simple and digital by design, while MNOs are weighed down by legacy systems and business models they don’t want to cannibalize.

The Inbound vs. Outbound Distinction Matters

Here’s the kicker: inbound and outbound travelers are not the same.

• Outbound travelers are price-sensitive and brand-agnostic. They know their home operator but will ditch it instantly if a global eSIM offers a better deal.
• Inbound travelers are convenience-driven. They want fast, easy connectivity the second they land, with minimal friction.

If you try to serve both markets with one generic “roaming solution,” you’ll lose. Winning the eSIM race means building tailored products for each group — and doing it faster than global eSIM players capture all the mindshare.

What MNOs Must Do (Practical Playbook)

1. Get Realistic on Outbound Pricing

Forget inflated roaming fees. Outbound travelers know better now. If your roaming isn’t competitive, they’ll buy from Airalo before boarding the plane.

Instead, focus on:

• Simple daily/weekly passes (no confusing MB-based pricing).
• Multi-country bundles for popular routes (e.g., Spain–Italy–France).
• Flat-rate “peace of mind” plans that trade margin for loyalty.

2. Stop Hiding Tourist eSIMs

Inbound demand is growing, but most operators bury tourist eSIMs deep in their sites or force store visits. Instead:

• Launch dedicated SEO-friendly landing pages (“Japan tourist eSIM”).
• Partner with airlines, airports, OTAs to sell before arrival.
• Make activation 100% digital, no paperwork.

3. Embrace Partnerships

Instead of trying to compete head-on, MNOs can partner with global eSIM marketplaces. Better to earn wholesale revenue as the “network behind the brand” than miss out entirely.

4. Use eSIM Data for Smart Offers

Unlike plastic SIMs, eSIM is digital-first — which means operators can actually understand traveler behavior. Who’s buying, where they’re going, how much data they use.

That data enables contextual offers:

• “Flying to Spain? Add a 7-day Europe pass for €14.99.”
• “Welcome to Japan! Activate a 10GB tourist eSIM now.”

That’s how you compete with global apps — with relevance and timing.

The Bigger Picture: Loyalty Is Dead

Here’s the hard truth: travelers don’t care about network loyalty abroad. In a Lisbon café, you don’t care if you’re connected through Vodafone, Orange, or MEO. You care about one thing: fast, affordable data.

That’s why travel eSIM providers are gaining ground so fast. They sell simplicity, not SIMs. They position themselves as travel buddies, not telecoms.

If operators want to stay in the race, they need to think the same way. The eSIM battle isn’t about who has the most towers — it’s about who delivers the smoothest, most traveler-friendly experience.

Final Thoughts about Mobile Operators’ eSIM strategy

Inbound and outbound travelers might look like two sides of the same coin, but in the eSIM era, they’re very different markets. Outbound subscribers need transparent, competitive roaming — or they’ll defect. Inbound visitors need instant, digital onboarding — or they’ll never even consider you.

For operators, the stakes are high. Roaming may “only” represent 7–10% of revenues, but it’s incredibly profitable. Giving it away to eSIM newcomers isn’t an option. Yet clinging to legacy models isn’t either.

The operators who win will be those who:

• Accept the inbound/outbound split.
• Build tailored products for each market.
• Partner where it makes sense.
• Leverage digital-first tools to stay relevant.

Because in the eSIM race, size doesn’t matter. Speed, simplicity, and traveler-centric design do.