by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:40 AM ET, Wed November 5, 2025
Improved border management could add $401 billion in gross domestic product and create 14 million new jobs across the globe by 2035, according to a first-of-its-kind report published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The report, called Better Borders, was created in partnership with aviation company SITA.
It demonstrates the power of modernizing border control systems and adopting smarter visa policies to promote and boost the travel industry, highlighting six key principles of change with 18 recommendations of how governments can pivot their border policies.
“Technology now allows us to achieve what was once thought impossible: stronger borders and smoother travel,” said WTTC Interim CEO Gloria Guevara. “By embracing digital identities, biometrics, and advanced data systems, countries can make journeys faster and more secure at the same time.
“The solutions are already here. Governments that take action today will see clear benefits tomorrow, from safer borders and greater traveler confidence to increased visitor numbers and economic growth.”
Some of the recommendations include the full digitalization of visas, the adoption of biometric border processes, better cooperation across tourism, security and financial governmental organizations and more.
One example of success cited in the report is Australia. At airports across the country, travelers use SmartGates, which utilize facial recognition technology to speedily process both arrivals and departures. By June of 2025, 79 percent of those arriving in Australia were able to use the technology, with just about the same percentage choosing to use SmartGates, significantly reducing border wait times.
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