Digital solutions to process heath credentials: The management of travel health credentials (vaccination or testing certificates) should be handled digitally and enable travelers to complete the process in advance so that they can arrive at the airport ready-to-travel. This will facilitate automated check-in processes, reducing airport queuing and wait-times.

Key recommendations include:

A digital health credential to record health status. The European Digital Covid Certificate (EU DCC) is widely accepted and a recognized good practice, with 22 non-EU States currently having equivalence agreements with the EU DCC.
A digital web portal or application through which passengers can present their travel health credentials directly to the respective governments for verification. Aruba’s web portal and Canada’s ArriveCAN app are good examples from which other countries can learn, and Australia’s Digital Passenger Declaration platform promises to further streamline processes. IATA Travel Pass can integrate with government solutions to assist with data collection and verification. IATA is working with several governments, including Australia to ensure a joined-up process,
A web-platform providing clear explanations of entry requirements tailored to the individual passenger’s residence status, health status, travel history and any other required variable. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health Travelcheck portal is a good practice example for its ease of use, simplicity and clarity.

These recommendations are supported by public opinion research of travelers which revealed that:

88% support standardized vaccination and testing certificates
87% will share personal health data via an app if it saves processing time
73% found understanding the rules and paperwork applicable to their travel to be a real challenge (those who traveled since June 2020)

COVID-19 measures proportionate to risk levels with a continuous review process: Industry and governments have amassed crucial and vast experience with COVID-19. This will continue as COVID-19 becomes endemic. COVID-19 measures must reflect this growing knowledge, changing risk levels and societal tolerance. While day-to-day modifications to measures would introduce unpredictability that would be counter-productive, regular reviews and adjustments are needed.