Tag Archives: Aruba

SITA and the Government of Aruba showcased the successful implementation of verifiable digital credential technology, eliminating the need for passengers to show their physical passport when arriving on the island. Speaking together in a keynote discussion at the ICAO TRIP conference taking place in Montreal this week, Jeremy Springall, SVP of SITA AT BORDERS, and Andrew Hoo, Director of Immigration for the Government of Aruba, highlighted that the development of Digital Travel Credentials enables passengers to securely create a digital version of their physical passport on their mobile device in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Following a series of trials using a digital identity or Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) developed by SITA and partner Indicio, the Government of Aruba hopes to permanently roll out digital identity to verify visitors arriving on the island, making it one of the first countries globally to do so. In March, the parties showed that passengers arriving at Queen Beatrix International Airport could apply for their travel authorization using a simplified process that eliminates the need to manually enter information from paper travel documents. Using a Digital Travel Credential, passengers can consent to share any of their relevant data directly from their digital wallet on their mobile device to multiple entities across journeys, from the government at the port of entry to other touchpoints such as hotels or car rental. Hoo highlighted that the Government of Aruba is committed to realizing its vision for a seamless traveler experience by supporting the next stage of development with further expansion and adoption in the upcoming months. Hoo said: “As an island where tourism is fundamental to our economy, we want to make the …

As it finally starts to emerge from crisis mode, new predictions from Aruba reveal how businesses in the hospitality sector will proactively leverage technology to deliver enhanced total guest experiences across the next decade. Following a transformative few years, which saw the entire industry adopt critical technology solutions in order to survive, hotels and venues have grown increasingly adept at offering seamless digital-first experiences. As they look ahead, however, this reliance on digital technology poses potential challenges to an industry that is built on human-to-human experiences. Aruba worked with global trends agency Foresight Factory to uncover five ways in which hospitality businesses will adapt to evolving consumer demands to offer the perfect balance between the digital and physical worlds. HOSPITALITY COMPANIES WILL BE SERVING UP PRESENCE-FREE OPTIONS Building on current contactless trends such as digital check-in and biometric payments, hospitality companies will be able to welcome guests that are not present at their venue at all, using innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse to offer presence-free experiences to “visitors” anywhere in the world. THE GUEST EXPERIENCE WILL START WELL BEFORE THEY ARRIVE AND CONTINUE LONG AFTER THEY LEAVE (AKA THE RISE OF ‘PRETAILTAINMENT’) Forget looking at photos or scanning the menu. In the future, guests will no longer do anything without first trying out the fully interactive, immersive digital option. As the virtual experience becomes a non-negotiable precursor to the real event, companies will begin to offer more creative, elaborate and personalized “pretailtainment” options. Meanwhile ‘post-stay’ services will also be available, rounding out the total experience.   THE GUEST EXPERIENCE WILL HAVE BECOME A COMMUNITY UNDERTAKING The future will see hospitality companies form …