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Airports Placing Higher Priority on IT Investments

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By Dipo Olowookere

Airports around the world are now placing a higher priority on IT investments for passenger and airport security with 50 percent rating it a high priority, up from 37 percent last year.

This is according to the 2016 Airport IT Trends Survey, the extensive annual study of IT trends within the global airport industry co-sponsored by SITA and Airports Council International (ACI), in association with Airline Business.

For many airports, the investment focus has shifted to security in the wake of heightened regional tensions, some of which directly target air travel.

While investment in passenger processing technology still ranks the number one priority for airports, it has dropped from 73 percent in 2015 to 59 percent this year as security rises in priority.

The survey shows that self-service and mobile dominate the airport landscape. This year for the first time SITA’s research indicates the majority of airports worldwide provide self-service check-in for both passengers and bags. Looking ahead self-service will continue to dominate with two-thirds of airports planning major IT investments in this area.

The growing influence of mobile is also evident with nearly every airport worldwide (90%) undertaking either a major program or a trial project related to mobile services and 74 percent trailing or piloting context-aware and location-based technology in the next five years.

Matthys Serfontein, SITA Vice President, Airport Solutions, said: “The technology trends at airports reflect the changing world. Investments to support passenger and airport security are up while the increasing demands of the connected traveller for self-service and mobile services are also being met.”

“This year we see a shift where airports are also looking to technology to generate non-aeronautical revenue. By 2019, 84 percent hope to make money by enabling the purchase of airport services through their mobile app. And there is also a clear trend to provide hybrid public Wi-Fi services that combine the convenience of limited free Wi-Fi with commercial offerings.

“Over the next three years the proportion of airports planning to offer unrestricted free Wi-Fi will drop from 74 percent to 54 percent. This change is mainly driven by airports in North America and the Middle East.”

Using kiosks for services beyond check-in and bag drop to generate revenue will also appear at the world’s airports.

Today a very small number of airports have kiosks that allow passengers to download digital content, such as the latest films, before they board the flight but by 2019, 30 percent plan to do so. By that time 42 percent also expect to have kiosks that enable sales transactions.

SITA’s research takes a look further into the airport’s digital transformation exploring areas such as wearables, biometrics, robotics and context-aware services and how airports plan to use these innovative technologies over the next five to ten years. In the light of the increased focus on security it is not surprising that interest in biometric technology, which supports fast and secure passenger processing, is high. More than one third of airports will invest in single biometric travel token projects in the next five years jumping to the majority (52 percent) within the decade.

These findings are from the 13th annual SITA Airport IT Trends and reflect the views of more than 225 airports who together manage 36 percent of the global traffic or 2.3 billion passengers. This year 50 percent of survey respondents came from airports within the Top 100 in terms of revenue.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Travel/Tourism

Trump Mulls Heavy Travel Ban on 43 Countries, Exempts Nigeria

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map of nigeria

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria was exempted from a provisional list of 43 countries that the United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, is mulling a new travel ban for their citizens.

Business Post reports that out of the 43 countries, 22 of them are in Africa but Nigeria is so far exempted.

According to reports, the draft list featured 43 countries, divided into three categories of travel restrictions – red, orange, and yellow.

The red category of countries whose citizens would be completely barred from entering the United States includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

Another 10 countries in the orange category — Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan — would see their visas sharply restricted.

The New York Times reported that in these cases, affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, but not people traveling on immigrant or tourist visas.

Citizens from countries on the orange list would also have to undergo in-person interviews to receive a visa.

Another 22 countries on a yellow list would have 60 days to address US concerns or risk being moved up to one of the more stringent categories.

“The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations, cautioned that the list had been developed by the State Department several weeks ago, and that changes were likely by the time it reached the White House,” the New York Times said.

This is reminiscent of moves carried out by President Trump in his first stint as president, when he banned some Muslim majority counties like Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — which ignited international outrage and led to domestic court rulings against it.

Iraq and Sudan were dropped from the list, but in 2018 the Supreme Court upheld a later version of the ban for the other nations — as well as North Korea and Venezuela.

Already, the US President has frozen the US refugee admission programme and almost all foreign aid.

Provisional Ban List 
Red list
Countries whose citizens would be completely barred from entering the United States include:

1. Afghanistan

2. Bhutan.

3. Cuba.

4. Iran

5. Libya

6. North Korea

7. Somalia

8. Sudan

9. Syria

10. Venezuela

11. Yemen

Orange list
Citizens from countries on the orange list would also have to undergo in-person interviews to receive a visa. These countries include:

12. Belarus
13. Eritrea
14. Haiti
15. Laos
16. Myanmar
17. Pakistan
18. Russia
19. Sierra Leone
20. South Sudan
21. Turkmenistan

Yellow List
They would have 60 days to address US concerns or risk being moved up to one of the more stringent categories. The following countries fall into that category:

22. Angola
23. Antigua and Barbuda
24. Benin
25. Burkina Faso
26. Cambodia
27. Cameroon
28. Cape Verde
29. Chad
30. Republic of Congo
31. Democratic Republic of Congo
32. Dominica
33. Equatorial Guinea
34. Gambia
35. Liberia
36. Malawi
37. Mali
38. Mauritania
39. St. Kitts and Nevis
40. St. Lucia
41. São Tomé and Príncipe
42. Vanuatu
43. Zimbabwe.

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End of Greece’s Golden Visa Could Curb Increasing Migrant Population

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Greece Golden Visa

The latest analysis from Astons, reveals that Greece has seen a 14.6% increase in migrants settlers over the past 10 years, with almost 25,000 Americans settling in the Mediterranean paradise in 2024 alone. However, this trend could soon reverse, with rumours that Greece is set to call time on its Golden Visa offering.

Astons has analysed International Migrant data from the United Nations* and found that, in 2024, more than 1.4m migrants settled in Greece, marking a ten-year increase of 14.6% since 2015.

The largest proportion of migrants arrived from the European continent (913,652), followed by Asia (372,146), Africa (68,690), and North America (38,416).

On a national level, Greece welcomed the largest number of people from Albania (474,441), followed by Germany (123,912), Georgia (90,365), Bulgaria (90,365), and Russia (78,992).

Meanwhile, 24,748 migrants resettled in Greece from the USA, and 19,156 arrived from the UK, marking a ten-year increase of 8.6% in both instances.

Many migrants looking to settle in Greece opt for the nation’s Golden Visa as a pathway to gaining residency and figures from Astons show that an estimated 8,837 applications were made in 2024 – the highest number seen since 2019.

However, this could be about to change, as Astons has seen a sharp increase in activity so far this year, driven by investor urgency around rumours that Greece is set to withdraw its Golden Visa offering.

Citizenship, residence permit, and real estate investment expert for Astons, Alena Lesina, said, “Greece has become one of Europe’s most in-demand destinations for migrants from all over the world, but residency in the country is certainly most desirable for the ultra-wealthy due to its investment potential and favourable expat tax rules, which explains why almost 25,000 Americans have chosen to settle there in the past year alone.

“There are some rumors, but no official confirmation. However, we understand that the situation in any country with a Golden Visa program can always change. The European Commission is putting significant pressure on countries offering Golden Visas, and internally, there is growing tension related to the need to address housing issues.

“History shows a clear trend – Ireland’s Golden Visa was discontinued, Spain’s program will officially end on April 3 this year. Last year, Portugal removed the real estate investment option from its program. In 2022, the UK also shut down its Tier 1 investor program.

“For now, Greece is maintaining its program and we can reasonably expect that it will remain in place for at least another year. However, it’s best not to delay making a decision for too long in case they decision is made to call time on Greece’s Golden visa.”

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Travel/Tourism

Mutfwang Renews Support for Strom Infrastructure’s Revamp of Hill Station Resort

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Hill Station Resort

The Governor of Plateau State, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, has assured full government support for the N8.5 billion Hill Station Resort revitalization project, embarked on by Hillside Hospitality Limited, an investee company of Strom Infrastructure Investments and Management Limited. The renewed commitment came during a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting aimed at accelerating the historic resort’s transformation.

Speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, in Jos, Plateau State, on Monday, Mr Samuel Jatau, Governor Mutfwang emphasized the project’s significance to Plateau’s development agenda.

“The people of Plateau are diligent, hardworking, and committed. We will support and patronise this development to ensure its success,” he said.

The ambitious project, set to commence construction in March 2025, represents a strategic partnership between the Plateau State Government and Hillside Hospitality Limited. Following the signing of the Heads of Terms Agreement in July 2024, the initiative aims to restore the 1938 structure while introducing modern amenities and luxury facilities.

Speaking on the project’s vision, the Director of Hillside Hospitality Limited, Mr Kolapo Joseph, described the Hill Station project as a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to transform hospitality and tourism in Plateau State.

“This project is about more than just revitalisation, it is a dedicated effort to honour Hill Station’s rich heritage while introducing world-class hospitality standards.

“Our vision is to create a destination that seamlessly integrates luxury, culture, and nature, ensuring an exceptional experience for visitors in the heart of Jos.

“We recognise that Plateau State holds immense potential as a hospitality hub, and we are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure this transformation drives economic growth, generates employment, and instils a renewed sense of pride in the community.

“Through collaboration and strategic investment, we aim to develop Hill Station Resort into a landmark destination that reflects the very best of Nigerian tourism,” he stated.

Mr Joseph expressed gratitude for the continued support from the Plateau State Government and private sector partners, adding: “This is not just an investment in infrastructure; it is an investment in Plateau’s future. We are creating a resort that will attract business and leisure travelers alike, unlocking new opportunities for the local economy while preserving the unique identity of this historic site.

“With the right partnerships, we will position Plateau State as a premier global tourism destination, one that showcases its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty to the world.”

In his remarks, another Director of Hillside Hospitality, Mr Hakeem Condotti, highlighted Strom Infrastructure’s deep connection to Plateau State through its involvement with NESCO Nigeria.

“This investment demonstrates our commitment to preserving and enhancing historical landmarks while driving economic growth in the region,” he said.

The revitalized resort, scheduled for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2025, will feature state-of-the-art conference facilities, premium accommodations, and leisure amenities, positioning Jos as a premier destination for business and leisure travel.

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