The Republic of the Seychelles has signed a ten-year contract with Travizory Border Security S.A. for its next-generation border management solution. The highly efficient solution has the specific aim of ensuring the safety and security of both citizens and visitors making Seychelles the first African country to introduce facial biometrics capability at its borders, incorporating comprehensive advance traveler data, while fully complying with UN/ICAO mandates.
Sherin Francis, CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board, said: “This is exactly what we need to keep the Seychelles COVID-safe for everyone, while boosting our economy as we welcome visitors all over the world. It is simple to use, for our passengers and authorities, and keeps border queues to a minimum. We’re proud to be one of only a handful of nations to deploy these capabilities, in keeping with our image of being a leading travel destination.”
Travizory, a Swiss-based border technology company, is delivering to Seychelles a next generation facial Travel Authorization (FTA™) system that allows travelers to complete advance entry formalities for health, immigration and customs before they travel, from the comfort of their own home, using either mobile apps or the website.
The platform combines the traveler’s data with information supplied by the airlines to Travizory’s Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) system.
The combined information enables Seychelles’ Health, Customs, Law Enforcement, and Immigration Authorities to screen travelers in advance, granting authorization only to travelers who fulfil travel requirements. This includes COVID-19 data, all other expected checks, and against criminal watchlists and databases.
Alan Renaud, Principal Secretary for Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, noted: “Our partnership with Travizory which originally was intended to ensure the safe re-opening of our country’s borders and economy in light of the pandemic. However, having experienced the technology, we know we need it for the long-term. Travizory’s solution meets the needs of all stakeholders: the Seychelles government agencies, airlines, and, perhaps most importantly, our visitors.”
“Travizory’s technology brings us in line with ICAO, United Nations and WCO mandates for the use of passenger data for electronic border management. And it opens up an abundance of opportunities to further improve aviation and maritime transport in the Seychelles. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership,” Renaud added.
Travizory’s platform pulls all the data together to create a tamper-proof, encrypted Travel Authorization (TA), with advanced data protection as a key feature. The information on each TA is saved directly onto the traveler’s phone, ensuring the traveler retains control of the data.
People can then travel through the airport using their face or a QR code, without having to worry about passports and boarding passes. The result is virtually no arrival queues at the airport.
Renaud Irminger, CEO Travizory, said: “We are very happy that Seychelles has placed its trust and confidence in Travizory. This ten-year contract is a tribute to the strong partnership we’ve built as we’ve fine-tuned our solution to meet the Seychelles’ urgent needs. The next steps in the roadmap are the full integration of API/PNR, deployment of biometric exit and entry technology, and the extension of the technology to maritime transport, such as cruise ships.”
Travizory’s FTA’s has been used by travelers going to the Seychelles for over six months, allowing the country to re-open its borders and its economy safely and securely. The technology is cloud based, so it can be configured and deployed anywhere in the world in a matter of weeks.