Montego Sangster International airport has received a multimillion-dollar expansion of Immigration Kiosks, just in time for the start of the winter tourist season. The expansion, which was commissioned by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is to facilitate a more seamless experience for the volumes of visitors arriving and help create a smart destination.
Smart tourism refers to the application of information and communication technology, such similar in smart cities, for developing innovative tools and approaches to improve tourism.
Speaking at the official ribbon cutting of the new kiosks at the airport today, Minister Bartlett said, “The future of tourism is predicated on technology and this move today which is a continuation of the development of a smarter tourism experience and particularly, smarter airport arrangements to facilitate seamlessness in visitor entry experience in our destination.”
Jamaica is expected to welcome some 2.68 million stopover arrivals by year-end. This is an 8 percent increase over last year.
Through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), has sponsored approximately twenty-five (25) kiosks to enhance visitor facilitation throughout the Sangster International airport. With these new kiosks, passengers place their immigration cards inside the machine and once the machine gives them a green light they are allowed to go straight to customs and clear their luggage.
“This use of technology to create a smarter entry into the destination is also going to position Jamaica as the leading destination in the Caribbean in so far as smart tourism is concerned. We are looking forward to not only this automated immigration facility but also the E-gates that are coming, the elimination of paper base and more digital arrangements for immigration.
The final stage will be facial recognition which will make Jamaica the most technologically savvy destination as it relates to point of entry,” added Minister Bartlett.
CEO of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), Mr. Andrew Wynter thanked the Ministry of Tourism and TEF for the support in making the kiosks a reality which will boost efficiency.
