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SITA to make its Digital Travel Declaration solution free to governments

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SITA today announced that it is to make its Digital Travel Declaration solution – which allows passengers to share required travel and health documentation with governments ahead of travel – available to governments free of charge globally.

It claims that the move is aimed at addressing the global challenge of submitting and verifying health documentation which remains a major impediment to the recovery of the global travel industry.

Recent research from IATA highlighted that of 50 countries surveyed, 38 countries had some form of COVID-19 restriction on who could enter.

David Lavorel, CEO of SITA at Airports and Borders, said: “In many cases, today’s onerous health requirements are discouraging travellers from flying or leading to long lines at airports.

“As an industry-owned organisation working at the crossroads of airlines, airports, and governments, we are able to connect the dots and streamline processes around health documentation.

“Making Digital Travel Declaration freely available to governments will be an investment in the recovery of our industry, and we hope will go some way towards addressing the challenges we all face today.”

For many countries, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic relies heavily on travel and tourism. According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, in 2019 travel and tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs, making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.

However, inefficiencies and a lack of common standards around managing health documentation remain the single biggest obstacle to rebuilding the travel and tourism industry and supporting economic growth.

SITA’s Digital Travel Declaration has been operational and used by governments around the world since October 2020, potentially making it easy for travellers to complete health declarations in a few quick steps.

A response is shared as proof of approval to travel, so the passenger can demonstrate to airlines and airports that they have all the correct documentation.

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