
SINGAPORE SKYLINE/BLOOMBERG
Hotels in Singapore are trialling the use of facial-recognition technology to speed up guests’ check-in times and boost worker productivity in an initiative that is linked up with the city-state’s immigration authorities, reported Bloomberg.
In a statement, the Singapore Tourism Board and local hotel association said that the new system, which was launched this week, will enable visitors to use a kiosk or mobile phone to verify their identity, eliminating the need for manual checks.
The new system is expected to trim check-in times by as much as 70 per cent.
Authorities in the Southeast Asian country are constantly on the lookout for ways to promote automation and boost workers’ productivity, both to improve efficiency and adjust to the constraints imposed by an ageing workforce.
The facial-recognition system, known as eVisitor Authentication, allows users to scan their passport and take a photo, with data then sent to immigration to attest to the validity of their stay and so far, it’s being piloted at three hotels.
John Kockan, General Manager of Grand Park City Hall estimated the new process reduced the time it took a guest to check in to about one minute, down from five.
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