In a recent survey conducted by IHG Hotels & Resorts, nearly 40% of U.S. workers said “the lack of business travel in 2020 demotivated them.” Businesses across the globe want to get back to travel as quickly and safely as possible. Hence the need for a path forward that delivers lasting confidence in returning to the office and traveling once again.
If you’ve spent any time online in the past few months, you’ve probably heard terms like CommonPass, Travel Pass or VeriFLY. These and other similar solutions are being referred to as digital health passports (and sometimes digital health passes, wallets or IDs). They typically take the form of a mobile app designed to validate certified health information, match them with travel requirements, and give travelers an easy and convenient means to provide verification of COVID-19 test results and vaccination records.
While the concept of digitizing vaccine credentials has been around for years, COVID-19 has greatly accelerated the speed-to-market, for not one, but a flurry of these solutions. A number of digital health passports have already been deployed by governments, airlines and other stakeholders. For example, American Airlines and British Airways allowed passengers to confirm testing and other COVID-19 travel requirements using the VeriFLY app since January and February 2021, respectively. Meanwhile, in March, Singapore Airlines became the first carrier in the world to start trials of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass.
So how do digital health passports work? The premise of the technology is simple:
- An individual receives test results completed at an accredited healthcare facility or lab.
- The information is then electronically delivered or uploaded to the individual’s digital health passport or wallet on their smart device.
- If the test results or proof of vaccination meet an established set of requirements for a specific destination, an indicator or QR code validating the individual is allowed to travel would be produced.
- When traveling, the individual would present the app data/QR code to an airline, airport or other government entity and is then ready to travel.
Still, there are several risks and challenges that need to be addressed for these solutions to become a useful tool that reduce the complexity of traveling safely. First, governments around the world need to agree on an international standard for validating and accepting testing results and vaccination records.
There is also a need to ensure interoperability between the various solutions being developed. While having more than one provider of digital health passports can be a good thing as far as consumer choice, in the sense that it spurs competition and innovation, we run the risk of creating a highly cumbersome and unwieldy experience for travelers if they have to use multiple apps on a single trip depending on their point of origin, destination, and their choice of airline. This can be avoided by creating a standard framework for all creators of digital health passports to follow, which would allow one health passport to be used for any trip or provider.
And finally, we need to overcome the concerns around data privacy. According to Brandon Balcom, Senior Director of Innovation at CWT, “Time will tell whether open standards will be set across the industry and governments to allow business travelers the convenience, ease and peace of mind of navigating one solution they trust, versus navigating a fragmented network of solutions and single use health passes. We see glimmers of hope in places like the European Union and framework for its Digital Green Pass. However, CWT is closely engaged across trade associations and with leading solution providers. Our desire is to support efforts that help you, our clients, quickly and safely return to travel.”
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