A Growing Barrier to Travel
The dream of a foreign getaway is hitting a wall of administrative red tape for a growing number of people. According to the 2026 Global Passenger Survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 43% of travellers have been discouraged from
visiting a destination specifically because of its immigration requirements. This figure marks a significant jump from 33% just a year prior in 2025, signalling that entry procedures are becoming a more critical factor in travel planning. The survey, which gathered responses from over 10,000 passengers across more than 200 countries, paints a clear picture: while technology is making parts of travel easier, border formalities are pushing people away.
It's the Complexity, Not Just the Cost
While visa fees can add to a holiday budget, the survey reveals that the primary deterrent isn't the price tag. Among those put off by immigration rules, a majority—53%—cited the sheer complexity of the process as the main reason. In comparison, cost and privacy concerns were each named by only 17% of respondents. This frustration stems from cumbersome paperwork, inconsistent document requirements, and online systems that are difficult to navigate. The findings suggest that even if a trip is affordable, the hassle of securing the necessary permissions is enough to make many potential tourists give up and choose another, more accessible destination.
A Global Issue with Regional Differences
This trend is global, but it doesn't affect all travellers equally. The survey highlights that travellers from Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are the most likely to be discouraged by entry requirements. In Africa, 52% of respondents said they had been deterred by immigration rules, the highest proportion of any region. The figure was nearly as high in the Asia-Pacific at 49%. In contrast, North American travellers were the least likely to be put off by these procedures, at 35%. This disparity underscores how varying passport strengths and bilateral visa agreements create a very different travel reality depending on one's nationality, directly impacting tourism flows and destination appeal.
Travellers Want a Digital Solution
Even as they are pushed away by complex manual processes, passengers are overwhelmingly in favour of digital solutions. The IATA survey found that a large majority of travellers, 86%, are willing to share their immigration information digitally before departure to speed up the process at the airport. Furthermore, 60% of people now prefer to apply for a visa online, compared to just 25% who would rather go in person to an embassy or consulate. There is also growing interest in completing these formalities before even getting to the airport. However, a major challenge remains: while over 100 countries now offer electronic visas (eVisas), there is a lack of common standards for airlines to verify them, creating an operational bottleneck.
The Path Forward
In response to these findings, IATA is urging governments to simplify their entry requirements and embrace technology more fully. The association's call to action focuses on eliminating redundant document checks and, crucially, accelerating the adoption of secure digital travel credentials and common standards for verifying eVisas. As Nick Careen, IATA's Senior Vice President, noted, passengers are clearly embracing technology like biometrics and AI to make their journeys smoother. The challenge now is for governments to catch up, streamlining their processes to reduce the friction that is increasingly keeping international travellers at home.
