Biometric Digital Identity in Travel Industry to Hit $72B Revenue by 2028

The travel and hospitality industry is projected to generate $72 billion in revenue from biometric digital identity technologies by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 92 percent from 2024 to 2028. The dramatic growth follows several years of accelerating adoption of biometric solutions across airports and hospitality venues globally.

According to the Biometric Digital Identity Travel and Hospitality Prism Report from Acuity Market Intelligence, which analyzed over 130 vendors and organizations in the global digital identity ecosystem, air travel represents the largest market segment at 47 percent of revenue. Hotels and resorts account for 33 percent, while casinos, sports venues, theme parks, and conference venues comprise the remaining 20 percent.

The Asia-Pacific region leads with 29 percent of total revenue, followed by Europe and North America at 26 percent each. The regional dominance reflects Asia’s early adoption of biometric systems, particularly in Singapore’s Changi Airport and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport. Latin America and the Middle East/Africa regions represent a combined 19 percent of revenue share with strong growth potential.

The report introduces a “Couch-to-Destination Journey” framework demonstrating how biometric solutions can connect previously separate ecosystems – departure, arrival, local transport, and destination – through unified guest identity verification. “The ideal couch-to-destination guest journey is not a complex web that a user must navigate as the cost of traveling or doing business; it’s a seamlessly integrated straight line maintained by the trust, security, and privacy of biometrics at the core,” said Maxine Most, founder of The Prism Project and Acuity Market Intelligence.

Biometric-enabled transactions are expected to reach 263 billion by 2028. Real-world implementations are already demonstrating enhanced guest experiences, improved operational efficiency, and increased security at key touchpoints. The growth corresponds with IATA’s recent passenger survey showing increasing traveler acceptance of biometric processing.

India is emerging as a leader in biometric air travel, with 24 airports currently using the technology to process nearly 90 percent of the country’s air travel volume. Through its Digi Yatra initiative, which has already surpassed 9 million users, the Indian government plans to pilot facial authentication technology for international travel in June 2025, working in coordination with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Sources: PR Web, LA Cyber, Financial Express

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January 02, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team