SINGAPORE, 7 November 2019: Singapore introduced a new initiative, the E-Visitor Authentication (EVA) system, Wednesday, to enable faster verification of a hotel guest’s stay validity, which will facilitate a more seamless check-in experience.
Participating hotels can use facial recognition technology to authenticate their guests’ identities, and the guest data will be sent to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to verify the validity of their stay.
The EVA is one project in a series of new initiatives launched, Wednesday, by the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Hotel Association. It focuses on leveraging technology to foster business innovation and support job redesign efforts in the hotel industry.
The initiatives are designed to boost further productivity, which has grown 4.5% in nominal terms annually since 2015, exceeding the 2020 target of 2% set out in the Hotel Industry Transformation Map (ITM).
“To transform the hotel industry and support our hotels to be more competitive and innovative for sustainable growth, we continue to work in close collaboration with industry partners to drive enhanced guest experiences via new solutions and initiatives.
“Even as we focus on the hardware, we are also invested in the software. The human aspect is at the heart of the business, and the passion and skillset of hotel staff is what ultimately drives the industry,” remarked Singapore Tourism Board’s director, hotels and sector manpower Tan Yen Nee.
The EVA project eliminates the need to perform manual checks on travel documents. Hotel check-in time will be reduced by up to 70%.
The new arrangement will allow hotel front office staff to use the time saved to interact with guests and share customised recommendations on Singapore’s offerings and experiences. With the increased face-to-face engagement, hotel staff will be able to connect meaningfully with guests and in turn, improve guest satisfaction levels, STB explained in the media statement.
