Complicated entry paperwork is now the biggest thing stopping people from booking trips. In IATA's 2026 Global Passenger Survey, 43% of air passengers said immigration requirements had discouraged them from visiting a destination — up from 33% just a year earlier. Of those put off, more than half blamed the sheer complexity of the process, rather than the cost (17%) or privacy worries (17%).

The survey drew on more than 10,000 responses from over 200 countries, and the picture it paints is of travellers racing ahead of governments. Some 58% used biometric identification at the airport in the past year, up from 50% in 2025, and 78% said they would happily hand over biometric data if it meant skipping repeated document checks. Interest in digital passports is strong too — 84% want to use them for online check-in. Attitudes like these explain why IATA is pushing governments to agree on shared standards for Digital Travel Credentials instead of leaving airlines to verify dozens of different e-visa formats.

AI has also gone mainstream in trip planning. Nearly half of respondents (49%) used AI tools, most often to search for flights (21%) or hunt cheaper fares (19%), with 17% turning to chatbots purely for destination inspiration. But adoption is uneven: 72% of Middle East travellers used AI to plan trips versus just 35% in Europe, while North America leads on biometrics (63%) and Europe lags (47%).

The appetite for digital entry is unmistakable. 86% would submit immigration information before departure to save time at the border, 60% prefer applying for visas online rather than queuing at an embassy, and 45% would like to finish immigration procedures before even reaching the airport. Privacy remains the sticking point: 59% worry about data breaches and 49% about their details being shared with third parties.

Not everyone feels the visa squeeze equally. African travellers were the most likely to be deterred by entry rules (52%), followed by Asia-Pacific (49%), while North Americans were the least affected (35%).

There's a practical example unfolding in Kazakhstan, which is rolling out its QazETA electronic travel authorisation from November 1. It starts at Aktau airport and four land crossings, reaches Astana and Almaty airports in January 2027, and becomes mandatory on July 1, 2027 for nationals of the 85 visa-free countries. Applications must be filed at least 72 hours before arrival — but it's free. The country also plans biometric check-in at airports from the first half of 2027.

Why does this matter if you're planning a trip? Two reasons. First, check entry requirements early — the survey suggests they're scuttling more holidays than ever, and new systems like Kazakhstan's add a pre-departure step you can't do at the check-in desk. Second, it's worth opting into biometric gates and digital visas where offered; passengers who do generally report smoother journeys, and the infrastructure is only going to expand.