How Today's Travelers Feel About Facial Recognition Technology

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:25 PM ET, Thu May 22, 2025

Travelers are growing increasingly comfortable with the use of facial recognition technology and other digital travel credentials and requirements.

A new survey from the travel app Tripit shows that more than two-thirds (69 percent) of travelers are somewhat or very comfortable with the use of a digital travel credential and facial recognition technology in travel.

Additionally, 58 percent of its survey respondents believe the shift to digital identity and facial recognition technology will improve the travel experience overall.

Still not all travelers are on board with the shift to high tech that’s currently unfolding. Some 18 percent of those surveyed believe it will harm the experience.

Still others believe there’s room for improvement when it comes to data transparency. On that front, only 7 percent said travel authorities have been very transparent about the use and storage of travelers’ biometric data

What’s worrying travelers most about the new high-tech travel experience? The top concerns about the use of facial recognition included:

• Data privacy (53%) 
• Tech reliability (50%) 
• Lack of human oversight in case something goes wrong (47%)
• Government overreach (46%) 
  
  

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is the United Nations agency that oversees international air navigation, recently announced plans to roll out a digital travel credential (DTC) that would rely on facial recognition technology and smartphones to deliver a seamless airport experience. The technology would replace traditional boarding passes and check-in processes with biometric and digital identity technology. It has been described as the most sweeping overhaul of air travel in a half-century.