The explosion in the digital identity market

SITA’s 2023 IT Passenger Survey found that almost 50% of travelers experienced long waiting lines and congestion at the airport, adding to anxiety for the journey. With IATA’s prediction that passenger numbers will double from 4 billion in 2019 to 8 billion by 2040¹, the travel industry recognizes that change is required. So it’s just as well that digital identity is such a huge and fast-growing market. With all the extra pressure on our industry, we’re going to need to embrace technology improvements wherever they’re available.

Estimates vary according to the size of the market and growth projections, but everyone agrees it’ll be spectacular. IMIR Market Research, for example, estimates that the global digital identity solutions market size was valued at US$42 billion in 2023 – and is projected to reach US$115 billion by 2032².

One of the main enablers has been digital wallets. In 2022, there were already 3.4 billion digital wallet users worldwide, which is expected to grow by 53% by 2026, reaching 5.2 billion users. Digital wallet transaction values meanwhile reached US$ 9 trillion In 2023 and are forecast to exceed US$ 16 trillion by 2028³.

The same picture can be seen at national levels, with the adoption in many countries of programs designed to deliver better citizen services while improving government efficiencies. Mobile Drivers Licenses (mDL) in the US are proving to be a successful digital identity credential within the US over the past couple of years, with adoption only growing. Of these, India’s Aadhaar, based on a combination of biometrics and demographic data, is by far the largest digital identity program in the world and is now being used by well over 1.3 billion people.

As industries such as retail and banking and countries around the world continue adopting digital identities, there’s growing pressure for the travel sector to join in too – driven by governments, airports, airlines and passengers alike. WTTC reports that the travel and tourism sectors contribute to 9.1% of the global GDP, which illustrates how passengers don’t end at the gate. It’s an end-to-end journey.

So far, this has been limited by a reluctance on the part of airlines or airports to take on the responsibility of securely managing the sensitive personal data of large numbers of passengers. But that problem can easily be solved by using a decentralized approach, where travelers’ digital identities are stored and managed on their own mobile devices rather than on centralized databases. This brings the risk of data breaches down to close to zero and meets rigorous legislative criteria. Most Importantly, it leaves passengers in control of their own data.

“ICAO has now completed the definition of standards for Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs). And here at SITA, we have a proven, trusted, and easy-to-deploy solution based on those standards.”

Passengers, for their part, are proving ever more confident and enthusiastic and now want and expect to use their biometrics to travel more easily and hassle-free. IATA’s 2023 Global Passenger Survey reported that 46% of passengers used biometrics at the airport, up from just 34% a year earlier. Three-quarters of passengers said they preferred to use biometric data over traditional passports and boarding passes, and 87% said they would share their immigration information if it sped up the airport arrival process – up from 83% a year earlier. Fully 91% of passengers are interested in special programs to expedite security screening for trusted travelers via background checks⁴.

From a governmental perspective, ICAO has now completed the definition of standards for Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs). And here at SITA we have a proven, trusted and easy-to-deploy solution, based on those international standards.

In Aruba, we proved that a government can integrate an ICAO DTC into its pre-clearance process within days, test within weeks, and deploy within months. Large, complex, and costly multi-year projects are now a thing of the past.

So digital identity, with both biographic and biometric information, shared with travelers’ consent well in advance of arrival, is shaping up to be the bright future of pre-clearing passengers for a seamless border crossing.

Moving forward, DTCs are in the process of evolving from DTC Type 1 to DTC Type 2 and will eventually lead to DTC Type 3. These are defined by ICAO as follows:

• DTC Type 1 – Self Derived. This is the DTC already in use today, and which we’re using in Aruba. It’s generated by passport holders and stored by them on their mobile devices. The passport is still required for verification.
• DTC Type 2 – Authority Derived. This is generated by the government authority, directly, so the physical passport is only needed as a reference document. Governments are expected to start issuing Type 2 DTCs within the next five years.
• DTC Type 3 – Authority issued. This is issued rather than simply generated by the state, so the physical passport is no longer needed – passengers could simply use their mobile devices as their identification (just as some countries already allow a virtual driving license to be stored on the phone).

In the end, it’s all about convenience and efficiency.

So let’s imagine a world where passengers consent to share their DTC in advance of travel to governments and airlines from the comfort of their home.

Imagine a world where they can keep their passport in their pocket for the entire journey.

Imagine a world where governments can easily know and vet passengers days in advance of their arrival.

Imagine a world where the solution is able to meet privacy regulations with ease.

The really great news is that it’s already here today – with SITA.

[1] www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/global-outlook-for-air-transport----june-2023/
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-identity-solution-market-overview-size-yxpdc/
[3] https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/digital-wallet-statistics/
[4] https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2023-releases/2023-10-25-01/