Smart travel plans to unlock $401bn for global economy, create 14 million jobs by 2035: Report
Basic border management can increase the global economy by US $ 401 billion and generate 14 new jobs, the European Union, according to the Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with the Air Transport Technology Company.
The report pointed out that ‘better borders’ means that they embrace digital technology and implement good visa policies that can transform borders into important assets of the country to improve security, increase economic tourism and improve economic competitiveness.
With global travel and tourism expected to contribute US $ 16,5 Trillion to the GDP and account for 12,5 percent of the country’s work in 2035, WTTC and Ta, the need of the Department has overshadowed the governments.
Digital Tech to transform border travel
The report proposes six guiding principles and 18 recommended actions to make international travel more efficient and safer. Among the main recommendations are the complete digitization of visas and travel authorizations, the integration of digital identities and the use of biometric systems to speed up border processing.
It also requires greater cooperation between tourism, security and financial services, the introduction of pre-clearance systems to reduce congestion and strong communication channels with the potential to improve trust and the overall travel experience.
“Technology Now allows us to achieve what was thought impossible: Stronger and more efficient borders,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC CEO.
“By adopting digital identity, biometrics, and advanced data systems, countries that can make travel faster and safer at the same time will see clear steps in the future and high certainty of certain times.”
Pedro Alves, Senior President of Border Control in Sita, said: “Borders today must be strong, to move the real experience of this work, and to accompany the experience of this change in the expectation of data. The heart of this change is data.
Specifically, the ability to trust identity information drives all decisions. When governments can rely on high-quality data, they can move faster, act earlier, and focus resources better. That is not only good for national security. It is important for tourism, trade and the hospitality experience. “
This page Better boundaries The report highlights several global examples of how digital transformation has improved efficiency and border management.
In the US, customs and border protection (CBP) uses biometric facial comparison technology to process travelers at 238 airports, including 14 CBP preclearance areas and 57 spiritual travel sites.
The UAE has introduced artificial intelligence recruitment tools that significantly reduce visa processing times, with some approvals now completed within hours.
In Australia, Smartgate technology using facial recognition has reduced border closure times, with 79 percent of arrivals eligible to use smartgates by mid-2025.
According to the report, 75 percent of travelers prefer biometric processes over manual processes and 85 percent are willing to share their data in advance if it leads to a faster experience and leads to a faster and smoother experience.
