(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles has launched a new visitor management platform that will enable authorities to run rapid and efficient vetting procedures on information provided by incoming travellers in a bid to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

In a launch ceremony on Tuesday, Alan Renaud, Principal Secretary for Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine said that "by having all the passenger information submitted ahead of time, including passengers health certification, we eliminate inefficiencies."

He said that the new platform will also help streamline security clearance and simplify the process of entry resulting in "better performance and reduced risk, all of which comes together to improve the passenger experience, not only at airports but in our archipelago as well."

With the Travizory technology, travellers can apply from their mobile phone via Android or iOS apps or on the web in about five minutes. Travellers will receive a clear response on their eligibility to travel in the form of a secure barcode, also available as a wallet pass, which they can present at check-in and boarding.

Travellers will have to pay a fee of $50 or $150 when submitting their documents online. A fee of $150 fee will apply only for emergency and late submissions. 

The technology will also allow health authorities from Seychelles to collect identity and health information directly from the traveller via easy to use web and mobile apps. The information is fed securely into a single system, providing advance information about all travellers wishing to travel to the Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

The Seychelles' Public Health Commissioner, Jude Gedeon, said that keeping Seychellois safe from the pandemic is the number one priority.

"However, we need to enable international travel to let in key workers and specialists and to allow tourism to restart and for our citizens to work again. With our current email and multiple forms, doctors and airport staff were struggling to keep pace with the number of arrivals. We have now given them a tool to focus their attention where it is most needed," he added.

The Health Authority will also roll out connected technology at approved accommodations to further enhance the passenger experience within the islands by avoiding unnecessary forms to be filled at various touchpoints.

The tourism minister, Didier Dogley, and chairperson of the re-opening of Seychelles Taskforce, said that "the new technology will allow us to balance the need for tourism to grow and sustain our economy without compromising the health of our citizens. It will have a very positive impact on tourism and the wider economy in the Seychelles, as well as clearly demonstrating Seychelles ability to deploy digital solutions." 

Renaud Irminger, CEO of Travizory, the company behind the new system, said the technology goes beyond just providing the Seychelles with a platform to efficiently perform health screening and help with border control.

"It is about providing the traveller with a positive experience. By making the whole process as painless as possible, giving people the assurance that they will be allowed to travel to the country and that the flight they are on is safe, the experience of visiting the Seychelles will now be even better," he added.

Travizory is a Swiss-based technology company founded by senior executives uniquely combining air transport industry, biometrics, mobile, border security and border management expertise.