Air transport IT provider SITA has announced that Jamaica will adopt its Digital Travel Declaration solution allowing all immigration, customs and health documentation required for entry into the country to be submitted through one online platform.
Digital Travel Declaration will support Jamaica’s Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in clearing passengers for travel pre-departure, supporting a safe, streamlined return to international travel.
Andrew Wynter, CEO of PICA, said, “We want to welcome visitors to Jamaica in the friendliest, safest and most straightforward way possible, and we are delighted to see visitors returning in great numbers. SITA has provided us with the opportunity to streamline our processes for entry to the country and offer a simpler experience to travelers while helping to ensure the safety of everyone. Given Jamaica’s past successes implementing SITA’s innovative border solutions, I know the Digital Travel Declaration will be of great benefit to the Jamaican economic and governance strategies.”
The Jamaican government currently collects immigration and customs data from each traveler through a separate online platform. The Digital Travel Declaration system will consolidate these processes and provide a single, simple platform for passengers to submit all required documents and data and receive travel authorization.
With the ability to verify information and assess risk levels, the Digital Travel Declaration system can provide validation to passengers before they depart, ensuring clarity on whether they can travel well before they arrive at the airport. This will enhance travel facilitation and help reduce bottlenecks at airports.
Matthys Serfontein, president of SITA Americas, said, “We are extremely proud to support the Jamaican government in optimizing their systems for welcoming travelers just as visitor numbers rapidly catch up to pre-pandemic levels. The benefits of Digital Travel Declaration in terms of added efficiency and simplicity are sure to last well into the long term. We applaud the ways Jamaica has endeavored to continually refine its border processes with the help of new technologies, and we look forward to continuing our partnership.”
