Entrust, a global leader in providing identity-centric security solutions, released key insights from its Seamless Travel Experience Survey, which aimed to understand international travelers’ expectations for a smoother, more efficient travel experience. Surveying over 2,000 frequent flyers across the G20, the study highlights the increasing demand for frictionless border control and enhanced security technologies.
The survey reveals that the majority of respondents encounter common challenges during international travel, particularly in the areas of customs, immigration, and visa applications. According to the data, 66% of travelers express a preference for biometric solutions like biometric corridors – a path or location that uses biometric technology to process people without the need for manual processes – and remote identity verification, favoring these advancements over traditional checkpoints. This trend is strongest in India, where support reaches 88%, underscoring a global shift towards advanced, secure travel experiences.
Key Findings from the Seamless Travel Survey:
- Biometric Preferences: Travellers increasingly value biometric corridors, with 92% indicating they would use such options if they reduced airport wait times by 20–30%. Support for biometrics remains consistently high worldwide, with India showing the strongest demand, and Canada and Spain at 53% and 56% respectively, where such programs are already piloted.
- Top Pain Points: Immigrations and customs processes rank as the most challenging steps upon arrival. While respondents appreciate improvements in airline apps and online check-ins, border procedures are cited as areas in need of transformation, especially the visa/ETA application process and security screenings.
- Data Privacy and Digitalization Concerns: While comfortable with biometric usage, 47% of UK respondents, along with 32% from the U.S., rank potential technological failures as their primary concern. Data privacy also emerged as a significant factor, with travelers urging transparency in how their data is managed and protected.
- Future Solutions for Seamless Travel: Surveyed travelers identified three top advancements they desire: electronic visa applications, remote identity verification, and e-passports, with each offering faster, more secure border experiences. The U.K. leads in prioritizing e-passports, while global preferences align on the need for electronic visas and identity verification.
- The impact of the CrowdStrike global travel disruption incident: Although 42% of respondents in a follow-up survey were personally impacted by the incident, and nearly half (47%) agreed it highlighted an overreliance on technological weak links, two-thirds also said that were still interested in adopting new technology in travel.
“These findings emphasize the global shift toward seamless, biometric-powered travel solutions,” said Gordon Wilson, Vice President of Identity Verification at Entrust. “Travelers are calling for an experience where security meets convenience, but with weather, engineering, and worker issues already causing regular disruption, technology needs to be set up to ensure that it alleviates the barriers to travel without creating new ones. To help meet this demand, Entrust aims to redefine borderless travel through trusted digital identity.”