As we all know that the on-going pandemic Covid-19 has brought tremendous changes in the Travel World. Governments and digital developers around the world are constantly trying to figure this Coronavirus out from the travel book to reopen the world flying again in a protective manner.
IATA Travel Pass-:
Even airline companies are exploring different kinds of digital protection, Emirates and Etihad Airways are the first two airlines in the world to roll out digital travel passes (IATA Travel Pass) soon. Both the airlines have partnered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and are going to launch the IATA Travel Pass on a trial basis at present. The "IATA Travel Pass” is basically a mobile app to help travelers easily and securely manage their travel plans in line with government requirements for vaccines or Covid-19 tests.
European countries’ stand on digital vaccine certificates-:
European Union officials said recently about issuing Digital Green Certificates aimed to re-open European tourism by this summer. These digital certificates would carry detailed proves of Covid-19 recent test results and vaccinations details as well to travel.
Countries like The United Kingdom, the United States of America, and many countries across the globe are also in the process of exploring all possibilities towards digital travel certification to let "travel happen again".
Many Schengen countries started issuing digital vaccine passes. Iceland is the first country in the Schengen union to issue digital vaccine certificates followed by Poland, whereas Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark announced the development of digital immunity passports.
What is Vaccine Passport?
A new term has been introduced in the Travel vocabulary known as "Vaccine passport”. A vaccine passport is a document that authenticating you have been vaccinated against Covid-19 which allows you to move freely between countries once again. It is not exactly the normal "Passport" but would be in the form of a secure digital certificate in which data can be maintained on your cell phone as an App or part of your digital wallet.
Many organizations have been working on digital solutions to streamline the travel process. During the Covid-19, these organizations have been focusing on the enhancement of the technology to the optimum level keeping people's personal data privacy in mind.
Mr. Nick Careen, senior vice president for airport, passenger, cargo, and security for IATA said that “It's about trying to digitize a process that happens now and make it into something that allows for more harmony and ease, making it easier for people to travel between countries without having to pull out different papers for different countries."
Common Pass-:
Apart from IATA, IBM has been developing a digital health pass, The World Economy Forum, and the Common Project Foundation assembled many public and private sector companies across the globe come together and are currently testing a digital health passport known as "CommonPass". This platform CommonPass would allow people to document their health declaration, vaccination status, and PCR test report information to satisfy country entry formalities.
To start the travel world once again, Zurab Pololikashvilli, secretary-general, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has said, global adoption of vaccination passports would be the best solution for safe resumption of international travel.
We have seen during the past few months, Many countries, Govt. bodies and other non-profit and technology-based organizations are working closely towards the one goal "restart international travel" by validating traveler's health documentation in an effective and secure international standard digital form.
Since it is the beginning phase of travel post-covid, it's not correct to conclude here; rather we should keep our discussion open and let’s see how the travel world is going to perform against Covid-19 in the upcoming time.
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