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Introduction‍

The hospitality and travel industries are slowly starting to get back on their feet after 2 challenging years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hotels are preparing to welcome back travellers by ensuring they can offer them a pleasant stay while adhering to health and safety regulations.

With the knowledge that everything has gone contactless on a mobile, from booking a flight to booking a taxi, to even looking at the menu in a restaurant, hotels recognize they have to keep with this growing trend.  The biggest challenge for hotels is to ensure that the check-in process is truly contactless, especially in markets where ID verification is mandatory. One way to achieve this is by making a facial recognition scan to match guests to their photo IDs on their individual smartphones.

The Truly ContactlessExperience

A digital identity verification process emulates how a front office staff takes the guests’ ID and checks it against the person standing in front of them. In this instance, computer vision ensures the ID looks good, and the two faces match.

Now that the hotel has verified the guest’s identity, it can give the guest the option of using their smartphone as a digital room key. With digital identity verification and end-to-end data encryption, hotels gain the assurance of having a more secure method for verifying guests’ identities. At the same time, the guest has enjoyed an entirely seamless and frictionless mobile process from start to finish.

The Importance of Verification

In the absence of identity verification, anyone with the right confirmation number or last name could potentially check into a hotel as a guest. This opens the window of opportunity for malicious parties to exploit a security gap in the system. Hence adding identity verification with strong encryption, guests’ personal data and their stay is largely protected from malicious attacks and phishing scams.

The very fact that ID verification is being used in a hotel can also act as a deterrent to parties with malicious intent. When they know they must verify their identity and will later be accountable for their actions at the property, it usually discourages them from carrying out any illegal activities.

Productivity during Manpower Crunch  

Besides having clear security benefits, a tangible benefit of identity verification is productivity. Having AI technology to verify guests' identities helps hotels cut down on steps at the front office for both the hotel staff and guests. With the Gtriip contactless check-in process with verification, guests can complete their mobile check-in in less than 2 minutes.

This autopilot provides the human front office staff bandwidth to attend to other higher-value requests from guests to bolster the warm hospitality experience as opposed to manually processing the paperwork for their check-ins. Personalized service can further enhance guests' satisfaction and develop a positive perception of the service standards at the property and its brand. Every minute a hotel staff could take their mind and hands-off processing mundane paperwork is a minute that goes towards greater productivity and guest satisfaction.

Data storage and security

Depending on jurisdiction and location, hotels need to keep the guest data on file for years. By integrating identity verification into the mobile check-in process, all the guests’ documents and verification details can be automatically and securely stored digitally. Retrieval of data also becomes more seamless.

Integrating identity verification with government backend systems is also critical today, with the rise of terrorism-related threats. In Singapore, for example, Gtriip customer hotels are fully interfaced with the Singapore Tourism Board’s E-VisitorAuthentication (EVA) system, which can verify the visa status and the identity of guests instantly to provide an extra layer of security and peace of mind.

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Conclusion
As travellers increasingly rely on their mobile devices for every step of their journey, their expectations for an exceptional mobile experience are also increasing. By integrating new and innovative technologies like digital identity verification on a smartphone, hotels can deliver a better guest experience and improve guest loyalty. Hotels that recognize this market opportunity and prioritize their investments in AI technology and digital transformations to adapt to the pandemic stand to gain several folds in return on current investments in the very near future – in the post-pandemic world.

Find out more about Gtriip's truly contactless hotel solutions here: www.gtriip.com/hotel/

Learn more about the full range of contactless solutions that Gtriip provides by reaching out to us via the link below.www.gtriip.com/consult-with-us/

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