by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:25 PM ET, Tue February 12, 2019
The World Travel & Tourism Council has established a new partnership aimed at promoting safer international travel through increased use of biometric technology.
The WTTC said in a statement that it is teaming with the International Border Management & Technologies Association (IBMATA), a non-profit organization, to further enhance its recently launched Seamless Traveler Journey program.
The program's ultimate goal is to create a travel landscape in which travelers won't need to provide the same information or passport multiple times.
"Instead, their experience will be seamless, faster and more enjoyable throughout their entire journey," WTTC said in a statement.
Biometrics, a budding technology, would be used at every touchpoint of the journey to make traveling easier while providing border services with greater security.
In October, WTTC announced a number of biometric technology trials throughout the end-to-end travel experience as part of its new program. (The first pilot program was to be introduced on roundtrip flights between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and London.)
The newly announced partnership with IBMATA, which works with border agencies worldwide to help facilitate the movement of passengers swiftly and easily across international borders using new and emerging technologies, will help further integrate the use of biometric technology.
The two organizations have committed to working together to make "the best use of new and emerging technology and established border management principles" to deliver an improved international passenger experience globally across borders.
"Travel and tourism employs one in ten people on the planet today and over the course of the next 20 years we will witness a doubling of the number of travelers and the creation of as many as 100 million jobs around the world," said Gloria Guevara, president, and CEO, WTTC. "We have a responsibility to prepare for the future by transforming the traveler experience while increasing security by working together and with governments."
Border agencies are dealing with more international passengers than ever before, against a backdrop of static or declining resources, added Tony Smith, chairman of IBMATA.
"It is important that they make [the] best use of new and emerging technology to enable them to facilitate the traveler experience for the vast majority of low-risk traffic, whilst at the same time maintaining safe and secure borders," said Smith.
The non-profit's new partnership with WTTC will enable it to maximize collaboration between the travel industry, border agencies and technology providers to help enhance implementation of new technologies such as biometrics, he said.
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