New Security Measures Debated at World Travel Mart

Posted by FTF on November 14, 2001 at 16:29:15:

In reports issued November 13th from the World Travel Mart taking place in London, several international security experts suggested that the American airline system lacked standards for security screenings. "We have to work with airports and governments to streamline these processes to reduce queues and inconveniences," noted IATA executive Pierre Jeanniot. Many experts were enthused about the development of biometrics, the tools needed to identify passengers by their unique human ID, such as retina scanners, iris readers, palm print readers and other computer database-oriented tools. As tourism officials debated the effect security measures would have on boosting consumer confidence, Mr. Frangialli of the World Tourism Organization noted that although travel bookings are currently down 12% to 15% worldwide, the 2001 international tourist arrival figures may still be up about 1% over last year due to tremendous travel growth prior to Sept. 11th.