International air transport sector-owned technology company SITA and global private sector travel and tourism industry non-profit promotion entity, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), have issued a joint report on how countries could use the latest technologies and forward-looking digital visa policies to provide seamless travel while maintaining security. The report was entitled “Better Borders: Enhance Security, Boost Tourism, Facilitate Seamless Travel & Drive Economic Growth”.

Using current systems, the report pointed out that, by 2035, aviation was forecast to transport 14-billion passengers a year. The WTTC predicted that, by that time, travel and tourism would account for 11.5% of the global economy ($16.5-trillion, in money terms), and support 12.5% of the global workforce (or 462-million jobs).

However, if the countries of the G20, EU, and AU implemented the new technologies, policies and procedures advocated in the “Better Borders” report, from now until 2035, analysis by the WTTC found that the global gross domestic product would be increased by an additional $401-billion and a further 14-million new jobs would be created.

“Achieving this will require reimagining how borders function,” affirmed SITA CEO David Lavorel and WTTC interim CEO Gloria Guevara. “Innovative digital solutions can ease congestion in space constrained immigration halls and reduce the reliance on manual staffing by streamlining processes. This can help Border Agencies manage rising traveller volumes.”

Already, 75% of travellers have expressed a preference for biometric identification processes, instead of manual ones. Moreover, 85% were willing to share their data ahead of their journey, if that resulted in faster and more efficient processing at borders.

To achieve the potential economic gains and seamless travel that these new technologies could provide (while actually increasing security), SITA and the WTTC urged governments to adopt six fundamental principles, divided into two groups of three. These two groups were Visa & Travel Authorisation Principles and Digital Border Technology Principles.

The first of the Visa & Travel Authorisation Principles was to integrate tourism perspectives into national border strategies – they should create national facilitation committees to oversee seamless travel initiatives, which would include representatives from all relevant government departments and agencies as well as from the travel and tourism sector. Second, the border permissions “experience” should be fully digitalised, with end-to-end electronic application, issuance and verification processes. And third, international cooperation and traveller communications should be strengthened, with countries harmonising their policies as far as possible, and travellers provided with clear and accessible information.

As for the Digital Border Technology Principles, the one that led the list was: pre-clear as many travellers as possible – that is, use traveller data to undertake risk assessments long before they arrived at the airport. Next was that States should embrace digital identities, and use verifiable and secure digital credentials to speed up identity checks. The third principle was to create direct relationships with travellers, through using digital platforms to gather required information and communicate with travellers, and to offer them personalised services.