Schengen Area is likely to launch an electronic visa in November 2023
The admission of Croatia into the Schengen Area and the member countries trying to move ahead with the proposed electronic visa for the area covering 27 countries is the top trend for global travel in 2023, says CheapOair, an online travel firm, that forms part of Fareportal group.
It says that one of the most promising developments in European travel has been the establishment of the Schengen Area, the largest visa-free travel zone in the world. It says that the area currently includes 26 European countries that have opened their borders to allow free travel among the various independent states. The area covers most of Europe, although not the UK or Ireland, and will soon include Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Croatia. Non-EU countries Norway, Iceland, Switzerland are also part of the area.
CheapOair says that perhaps the most exciting new development in the EU travel experience is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System or ETIAS, which will basically be an EU version of the US electronic travel authorisation system, providing e-visas for travellers from outside the EU and Schengen Areas. ETIAS users will need to be fingerprinted and pay a nominal fee of about Eur 7, it says. In addition to the fee, CheapOair says that travellers also need to pass a security screening. As per current schedule, the ETIAS will be made mandatory from November 2023, six months behind the original rollout date of May.
The second major trend applies almost exclusively to the citizens and residents of the United States and is centred around Real ID, a unified identity that will be needed for travel in the US. The blog says that
Real ID was supposed to be implemented in the Spring of 2023, but has been delated by federal authorities to 2025 because many states were not prepared. The process began in 2005 when the US Congress passed the Real ID Act in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks. As per the Act, travellers would be required to have Real ID before they can board a plane. Real ID was intended to go into effect in 2008, but has been delayed on numerous occasions, it adds. The Real IDs will form part of an electronic database that all US states will share, it says.
Another important trend listed by CheapOair for the coming year is the bill covering rights of disabled passengers. Accoridng to a press statement, the Bill of Rights for disabled passengers has been around since 1986, but the Department of Transportation recently issued a consolidated version to succinctly clarify what the Bill of Rights covers. The provisions include the right to be treated with dignity and respect ; to receive information about an airlines services, capabilities, and limitations for disabled passengers and to receive that information in an accessible format.
The Bill of Rights also specifies the right to accessible airport facilities, the right to assistance at airports and on aircraft, the right to travel with an assistive device or service animal, the right to seating accommodations and accessible aircraft features and the right to resolve a disability-related issue. The Bill of Rights for disabled passengers applies to all airlines operating out of US airports, whether American of foreign. CheapOair says that airlines and airports have been having trouble fully accommodating passengers with disabilities, adding that there have been many reports of lost or broken wheelchairs, travellers who have been poorly treated, and staff members who are insufficiently trained about how to accommodate different disabilities.
Another trend to be watched out for in the year 2023 is the arrival of air taxis, says CheapOair. It says that a number of start-ups are busy developing electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs.
It adds that as they will be powered entirely by electricity, they are an important part of sustainable aviation.
But it warns that before eVTOLs can become widespread, enormous investments are needed in infrastructure and another obstacle comes from waiting for regulatory agencies to develop standards for vehicles that really have no current equivalent. ‘‘These eVTOLs may look like helicopters, but they are battery powered, and are therefore a completely different beast in terms of their inner workings. And if, as many plan, these vehicles are going to become ubiquitous the the skies of major cities like New York City or Los Angeles, the FAA will need to develop a new set of rules to govern eVTOL use and operation.
Another major trend identified by the blog covers aspects of what travellers want to get out of the experience. It says that increasingly, people are looking for travel experiences that are more authentic, i.e. that give tourists a deeper understanding of the people culture, and history of their destinations.
