Travel companies face rising fraud exposure and tightening global regulatory requirements. Consumer trust is under pressure, with 44% of travellers lacking confidence in travel providers’ ability to prevent AI-driven identity fraud. As identity verification for travel becomes more critical, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), introduced in 2024, require biometric capture and pre-travel authorisation for non-EU passengers.
These shifts place greater scrutiny on verification workflows across booking, onboarding, and check-in, increasing the need for stronger identity validation and more consistent compliance controls.
Trust and safety services from Infosys BPM empower OTAs and airlines to navigate this landscape through high-accuracy verification, automated fraud detection, and compliant identity data management.
identity verification challenges travel companies face
Travel companies verify identities across multiple checkpoints, but many workflows still rely on manual steps and inconsistent tools, creating gaps that limit the effectiveness of digital identity verification in the travel industry.
manual data entry delays and errors
Typographical errors, mismatched details, and incomplete fields slow down remote booking and create queues during peak travel periods. Staff often spend additional time re-verifying information, increasing operational workload.
new regulatory requirements
EES and ETIAS require biometric capture and pre-travel authorisation for non-EU travellers. Carriers must confirm compliance before boarding to avoid delays or penalties, adding pressure to already time-sensitive workflows.
rising fraud exposure
Manipulated or digitally altered documents increasingly bypass basic visual checks, especially during remote onboarding. Industry estimates indicate that travel and hospitality businesses face average annual losses of more than $11 million, underscoring the need for stronger verification controls.
fragmented verification systems
Airports, hotels, rail operators, and OTAs use a mix of paper checks, kiosks, mobile uploads, and e-gates. These inconsistencies slow passenger movement and create uneven verification outcomes.
data privacy and security demands
Identity verification involves sensitive personal and biometric data. Companies must implement masking, secure storage, and controlled access requirements aligned with global data-protection laws such as GDPR.
These pressures are accelerating the adoption of digital identity verification practices across the travel industry.
trends driving digital identity verification in the travel industry
Travel providers are adopting faster and more standardised verification methods to address rising fraud risk, new regulatory obligations, and evolving traveller expectations.
biometric verification for travel and hospitality
Biometric methods are routinely used across travel and hospitality to improve identity validation. Airports, rail networks, and border authorities increasingly use facial recognition to speed up identity checks. Biometrics support passenger movement through e-gates and automated lanes, reducing reliance on manual inspection and improving throughput at peak times.
automated document checking
Automated systems verify passports, ID cards, and driving licences. OCR extracts data in seconds and checks authenticity against templates from issuing authorities.
challenge-response and selfie matching
Remote checks commonly use liveness detection or ‘challenge-response’, requiring travellers to perform simple movements. The system then matches the selfie with the document photo to prevent spoofing, deepfakes, or digitally manipulated identities.
digital identity wallets and mobile IDs
EU citizens will soon store travel documents in smartphone wallets. Several US states pilot mobile driving licences for travel.
These advances support EES/ETIAS compliance and reduce reliance on paper documents.
how automation strengthens travel fraud prevention using identity verification
Automation strengthens travel fraud prevention using identity verification by applying layered checks across booking, onboarding, and check-in. Travellers upload identity documents remotely, and automated systems extract and validate information within seconds, reducing manual entry errors and ensuring consistent data capture. These systems compare document details against global template databases and examine security features to detect signs of manipulation or alteration.
Liveness detection adds another safeguard by confirming that the individual presenting the document is physically present. This helps prevent spoofing attempts and digitally altered identities during remote verification.
Automation also supports compliance requirements. Biometric data needed for EES and ETIAS can be captured and verified without additional manual steps, while GDPR-aligned masking and secure storage protect sensitive information. Travel companies can strengthen these controls by leveraging trust and safety solutions for the sector that support secure identity verification across booking and check-in workflows.
key considerations when modernising identity verification in travel
Modernising identity verification requires travel companies to balance security, compliance, and traveller experience while addressing evolving fraud risks. Workflows must capture accurate data, validate document authenticity, and confirm the traveller’s identity with minimal friction. They also need to meet biometric requirements under EES and ETIAS, maintain consistent checks across channels, and scale during peak periods without adding operational load.
Strong data governance is essential. Identity information must be masked, stored securely, and handled in line with GDPR and regional privacy regulations to reduce risk and maintain trust. Integration with booking and check-in systems helps ensure verification steps are applied consistently across the traveller journey.
frequently asked question
- Why is identity verification becoming more critical for travel companies?
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At which points in the traveller journey should identity verification be applied?
- How does automated identity verification improve operations for travel and hospitality companies?
- What role do biometrics and liveness checks play in travel identity verification?
- What should travel companies look for in an identity verification solution?
Identity verification is under greater scrutiny due to rising AI‑driven identity fraud, new regulations like EES/ETIAS, and travellers’ low confidence in providers’ ability to prevent fraud.
Verification should occur at booking, check‑in (online or at the desk), and at boarding or hotel arrival so that passenger and guest data is consistent and checked before access to high‑risk services.
Automated ID checks use OCR, template databases, and biometric matching to extract and validate document data in seconds, reducing manual entry errors, queues, and staff workload while speeding up check‑in.
Facial biometrics, selfie matching, and liveness detection confirm that a real person is present and that the face matches the ID photo, making it harder for forged, stolen, or manipulated documents to be used.
Key requirements include global document coverage, strong fraud detection (including liveness and document authenticity checks), fast processing, easy integration with booking/check‑in systems, and GDPR‑aligned data protection and anonymisation.
