Perth, Oct 28: Nearly half of Asia-Pacific air travellers say complex immigration rules have discouraged them from visiting a destination, even as passengers in the region embrace biometrics and artificial intelligence, a global survey shows.
The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2026 Global Passenger Survey, released in Macao, found that 49 per cent of Asia-Pacific passengers had been put off a destination by entry requirements. That is above the global figure of 43 per cent and second only to Africa, at 52 per cent.
Globally, the share of deterred travellers jumped from 33 per cent in 2025. Of those put off, 53 per cent said the process was too complex, while privacy and cost were each cited by 17 per cent.
The survey, based on more than 10,000 responses from over 200 countries, found that travellers overwhelmingly want visa processes to move online. Sixty per cent said they prefer to apply for a visa online, compared with 25 per cent who would rather apply in person at a consulate or embassy.
IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, Nick Careen, said governments could ease the burden by simplifying entry requirements and removing duplicate checks.
“Passengers want to apply for visas online and complete immigration procedures before they reach the airport,” he said.
He noted that while more than 100 countries now issue eVisas, there is little consistency in how they are checked, and urged governments to adopt common standards.
Region ahead on technology
Despite the immigration hurdles, Asia-Pacific travellers were among the most satisfied with air travel. Ninety per cent said they were happy, level with the Middle East and the joint highest of any region.
Sixty-one per cent of Asia-Pacific passengers had used biometric identification at the airport in the past year, up six percentage points on 2025. Fifty-seven per cent had used AI to plan travel, compared with 49 per cent globally.
Biometrics go mainstream
Worldwide, 58 per cent of passengers had used biometrics during their airport journey in the past year, up from 50 per cent in 2025 and 24 percentage points higher than in 2022. Of those, 87 per cent were satisfied with the experience.
Seventy-eight per cent of travellers said they would share their biometric data if it meant skipping passport and boarding pass checks, and 84 per cent were interested in using a digital passport for online check-in.
However, data security remains a concern. Passengers named data breaches (59 per cent), information being shared with other organisations (49 per cent) and unclear handling of personal information (41 per cent) as their main worries.
AI enters travel planning
The most common uses of AI for travel were searching for flights to a specific destination (21 per cent), finding the cheapest fares (19 per cent) and seeking inspiration on where to go (17 per cent).
The Middle East led all regions in AI use (72 per cent) and interest in digital passports (91 per cent). European travellers were the most cautious, with only 35 per cent using AI for travel planning. North American passengers reported the highest use of biometrics (63 per cent) and were the least likely to be deterred by immigration rules (35 per cent).
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