Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes

Travel visa impacts on destination choice and perception

Marina Duerrmeier Rizzi
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Marina Duerrmeier Rizzi , (2014),"Travel visa impacts on destination choice and perception", Worldwide
Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 6 Iss 4 pp. 305 - 316
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Travel visa impacts on destination Travel visa

impacts on
choice and perception destination
Marina Duerrmeier Rizzi
Professional Training and Development, Emirates Academy of Hospitality
Management, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
305

Abstract
Purpose – This aim of this research was to discern the impacts that the visa application process has on
destination perception and choice. Visas are used to respect border integrity, minimize illegal migration
and reciprocate international relations.
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Design/methodology/approach – The research surveyed a sample of the Dubai resident

population, targeting individuals who have previously been required to apply for travel visas.
Findings – The outcomes of the research revealed that while visa application procedures were felt to
be a “necessary bother”, certain factors such as: visa processing times and fees left participants with a
negative perception of the destination, especially for travellers motivated by travel budgets, flight
prices and visiting family and friends at the destination.
Research limitations/implications – With available technology and the benefits of visa
facilitation: cost savings, increasing tourism revenue and creating loyalty with legitimate visitors,
today’s nations have no excuse for not developing their policies and procedures in line with modern
methods.
Originality/value – For the first time, a measure of the impacts that visa application policies have on
traveller destination perception and choice was assessed.
Keywords Reciprocity, United Arab Emirates, Destination choice, Destination perception, Dubai
Expo 2020, Travel visa impacts, Visa facilitation, Visa policies, Border security, International
relations
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Tourism is big business and the economic benefits are an important factor for both
developing and developed nations. The total contribution of tourism activities to the
world economy in 2013 was forecasted at around 2.9 per cent (World Travel and
Tourism Council, 2013). The tourism revenue is used to sustain government activities
and wider investments. The global tourism industry in 2013 was estimated to be worth
US $1.4 trillion, with a yearly 2.5 per cent increase since 2009 (IbisWorld, 2013). The
value of properly managed tourism resources cannot be denied. Given the increase in
tourism, disposable incomes and flight prices and availability, the yearly movement of
people internationally is exponential. The World Tourism Organization estimates that

The author would like to express gratitude to the research supervisor, Stuart Jauncey (Dean) and
to Ivan Ninov (Assistance Dean) as the external reader. Additionally, the author thanks Sanjay Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism
Themes
Nadkarni for his support in the statistical evaluation of the research data. A special thanks to Bob Vol. 6 No. 4, 2014
Brotherton for support in the creation of the research instrument. pp. 305-316
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
This research instrument was distributed with the assistance of Mark M. Davies, Managing 1755-4217
Director and COO of Aimia, MENA region, to its subscriber base. DOI 10.1108/WHATT-01-2014-0001
 WHATT by 2020, international arrivals are expected to reach 1.6 billion people annually and to
monitor and control border movement, countries rely on the use of visas. Some of the
6,4 earliest travel visas were found in the court of the French king Louis XIV who would
issue a document permitting a “pass par tout” over international borders for his court
favourites (Lieberman and Lautenberg, 1991). But they were not then seriously
reinforced until after World War II, when border security again became an important
306 factor for many nations.
Today’s visa policies are created with three primary factors in mind: border security
(Bianchi, 2006), minimizing illegal migration (European Commission
Directorate-General Home Affairs, 2011) and reciprocity (Lieberman and Lautenberg,
1991). Reciprocity details bilateral country relations; one country may deny or require
full visas for citizens of another country in response to similar policies by another
country. For example, Brazil charges around US $150 in visa fees and demands
biometric information from US citizens because the USA has similar policies in place for
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Brazilians. Reciprocity used in the formulation of visa policies fluctuates with the
temperature of international relations.
For the encouragement of a nation’s positive return from its tourism industry, it is
important to question how visa policies may affect the visitor. How do overly restrictive
and time-consuming policies (i.e. paperwork, fees, processing) influence the perception
of the destination for legitimate visitors? Do any negative perceptions in turn affect
revisit propensity? Visa facilitation includes any activities that would streamline the
processing of visa applications, as well as policies that would reduce the amount of
paperwork required, visa fees and face-to-face interviews. It is important to consider
three primary factors affecting visa facilitation.
First and foremost, visa facilitation can be used to increase tourism numbers and
revenue. Visa facilitation through the use of available technology, visa waivers and a
reduced strain on the overall immigration resources provides the second benefit of visa
facilitation. Finally, a part of the overall research programme and the purpose of the
paper is that 21st century visa policies and procedures may impact traveller destination
perception and choice and deter genuine tourism revenue as a result.

Preparations for Expo 2020

Dubai, winner of the Expo 2020 with its “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” bid
currently has 2.1 million inhabitants from over 260 countries, and this is expected to
reach 6.1 million by 2020 (UAE Interact, 2010). Reviewing the visitor numbers of past
expositions revealed that:
• Expo 2005-Aichi welcomed 22 million visitors (approximately 118,900 visitors per
day) ([Link], 2005).
• Expo 2000-Hanover accommodated 18 million visitors (roughly 117,600 visitors
per day) (Derra, 2005).
• Seville greeted around 41 million visitors when it hosted the Expo in 1992 (a
populace increase of approximately 25 per cent – 1.6 million inhabitants – at the
time ([Link], 2001).

If the visitor numbers are anything similar to the past World Expositions, Dubai could
be looking at an enormous influx of tourists within a limited time frame. What impacts
would this have on Dubai’s immigration policies? In turn, what impact would Dubai’s
 visa facilitation policies have on the incoming visitors’ perception of Dubai? Ideally, we Travel visa
hope that these visitors would leave Dubai with a positive memorable impression of
their overall visit. The very first impression of their Dubai visit would start with their
impacts on
experience during immigration processes as a result of Dubai’s visa policies. destination
The impacts of visa policies
With the support of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) and in 307
conjunction with the Aimia (Air Miles) organization, a study of Dubai residents was
conducted with the express purpose of painting a picture of “why” and “how” visa
policies affect various aspects of travel choice and perception. Aimia ([Link])
is a loyalty management company that builds and manages loyalty programmes for
multiple companies across a number of different industries. The demographics of the
Dubai population presented a unique opportunity for the study of visa procedures and
their impacts on destination perception and choice. There is an extremely large and
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varied number of foreign nationalities living and working in Dubai. After the 2006
census, the Ministry of Labor stated that there were ⬎ 202 different nationalities
represented in the Dubai labour market (Khaleej Times, 2006). Arabic expatriates (23
per cent) and South Asian expatriates (42 per cent) account for the majority of the UAE’s
foreign residents (Index Mundi, n/a). Given the diverse demographics within Dubai, a
large number of residents hold passports that exclude them from visa waiver eligibility
for many of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
nations (i.e. America, European Union member states, etc.). Regardless of supporting
income levels and available vacation time, without mentioning the necessity to travel
during the scorching UAE summer months, they have ample motivation and possibility
to travel to the aforementioned countries. This made an interesting sample population
for the research analysis of the impacts of visa facilitation processes. The two primary
hypotheses of the research explored are as follows:
H1. Tourist visa application procedures affect traveller destination perception.
H2. There is a relationship between tourist visa application procedures and
destination choice.
A survey-type instrument was distributed to Aimia subscribers, from which
approximately 2,000 responses were generated. Further research questions addressed
by the survey were:
• What are the perceived difficulties of the elements inherent in the tourist visa
application process?
• What is the ranking of these difficulties in terms of their perceived importance?
• How do the perceived difficulties of the visa application process affect the
traveller’s perception of the destination both before and after their visit?
• Also, do any of these perceived difficulties affect the traveller’s revisit propensity?
• And finally, based on the motivating factors for the traveller’s destination choice,
which of the visa application procedures are perceived to be the most bothersome?

Visa eligibility can also be based on the reciprocity between two countries. Other factors
that come into play when determining visa eligibility are: the presumptions of
immigrant intent, which is also linked with financial solubility, and criminal history.
 WHATT While the latter factors are easy to predict, it is much more difficult to ascertain the
movements of international relations and intentions, such as trade or foreign investment
6,4 potential.
Respecting border integrity, another important element in the formulation of visa
policies, has become easier to facilitate through the use of technological advances, such
as electronic visas, but has increased the complexity for countries that share
308 organizational and physical borders (i.e. Schengen Area members). Conversely, citizens
from OECD nations such as, America, Canada, Australia and European Union member
states can easily obtain travel visas or visa waivers. This may result in these nations
driving reciprocation. Smaller developing nations cannot be as restrictive in the
formulation of their visa policies when trying to cultivate their own tourism industries.
Many of the world’s citizens, however, are subjected to lengthy, costly and complicated
travel visa application processes. Given the combination of all these factors, and the
ever-increasing level of international travel, the research delved into the true meaning
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and value of visas in the 21st century, and the perceptions of those travellers required to
adhere to complex and archaic visa processes. The impacts that these processes have on
destination choice are a further indicator of opportunity costs to the individual
countries. At the same time, it is necessary to ascertain what other factors are good
indicators of the traveller’s destination choice, such as, airfare, ease of tourist visa
application processes and on-site expenditure.

Increasing tourism revenue through visa facilitation

Primarily issued through embassies, high commissions and consulates, travel visas can
often be considered time-consuming, costly and labour-intensive. The process of visa
facilitation is in itself often ill-equipped to deal with peaks in demand (Neumayer, 2010,
p. 19). Additional process components which can further exacerbate timings include
connection to in-country databases, document verification, visa printing and issuance.
Countries that have already implemented electronic visas have benefited from an
increased growth of tourist arrivals. The implementation of the US Visa Waiver
programme accounted for 46 per cent growth (over a three-year period) from the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and the Republic of Korea.
Australia, after its introduction of the Electronic Travel Authority programme, saw a
7.9 per cent growth in tourism arrivals over the next three years from all countries. The
Indian “Visa on Arrival” programme facilitated a 10.6 per cent increase in arrivals from
New Zealand, Finland, Luxembourg, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam in the span of one year. (World Tourism and
Travel Council, 2012).

Promoting cost savings through visa facilitation

The use of visa waiver programmes also contributes to significant cost savings for
implicated countries (Hu, 2013). Although this is offset by the existing visa policies that
are largely based on reciprocity and are therefore in a constant flux of international
relationship policies between the countries in question. Electronic visa systems also aid
governments in minimizing rejection rates, maintaining border integrity and
decentralizing responsibilities that strain existing entry border resources. Electronic
data capture also facilitates the monitoring of visa overstays (SITA, n/a). To operate
effectively and encourage growth in travel and tourism, electronic visa applications are
 indispensable for forward-thinking and tourism-oriented countries. The resulting Travel visa
repository of visas either issued or denied can later be reconciled at any point in the
passenger journey (i.e. departure-airline check and at the arrival and departure
impacts on
border-government check). destination

Deterring legitimate visitors

It is important to take into consideration the idea that legitimate visitors may be deterred 309
from leisure travel as a result of cumbersome and overly restrictive visa requirements.
The research found that this seems to be associated to the value that the visitor places on
their time and budget. Obstructive visa requirements for certain passport holders may
be the cause of both opportunity costs and negative traveller perceptions to countries
that may otherwise benefit from this tourism revenue. It would seem self-explanatory
that trade, foreign investment, foreign business interests and tourism are economically
desirable. In this regard, why do so many countries continue to impose stringent visa
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restrictions if this serves to hinder their economic potential? And, in light of available
visa facilitation resources (technology), why do countries continue to use largely
paper-based visa systems? The majority of the world’s countries use offline procedures,
although there is some movement towards (at least partially) online visa processing, i.e.
the USA, Australia, The UAE and the Schengen visas. Except for the nationalities that
qualify for visa waiver eligibility for travel to these countries, a personal visit to the
embassy or a visa-processing centre is still required. Visa requirements serve to
pre-select visitors, compile visitor demographics and deter “undesirables”. Autocratic
regimes actually use stricter visa requirements to deter any foreign influences that may
undermine the controlling regime. Developing countries and those that rely heavily on
tourism revenues, however, pose fewer visa restrictions. Just as major tourism
destinations wish to stay competitive in the ever-increasing market of available mass
tourism destinations (i.e. the Bahamas, the Canary Islands and the Maldives). The
problems inherent in outdated visa application processes include the deterrent of
legitimate travellers, but also the overhead costs to the governments as they invest in the
labour and material necessary to staff and organize these outdated procedures.

Visa policies research outcomes

Tourism is a booming business. There has been an exponential increase in travel in the
past 20 years, permitted by cheaper travel options. Around 15 million people used cruise
ships in 2010, and air travel contributes approximately US $425 billion yearly to the
travel industry. In the past 10 years alone travel and tourism growth averaged roughly
3 per cent globally, with emerging markets outpacing more advanced economies (World
Travel and Tourism Council, 2011). The different elements of the visa application
process were measured to assess their ranking in terms of the users’ perception of
unpleasantness or difficulty (i.e. amount of required paperwork, processing fees and
times, obligatory face-to-face interviews and the chance of application denial). A further
purpose of the research was to explore the impacts that visa policies have on destination
choice, in comparison to the other influencing factors, such as: flight distance/price,
friends or relatives at the destination, historical or environmental attractions and travel
budgets. To reiterate, the objective outcome of the research was to highlight
opportunities where countries could benefit from increased tourism numbers by
addressing the elements found to be the most cumbersome in the visa application
 WHATT process. The secondary objective was to provide prospective for influencing destination
perception and choice by identifying primary factors used in holiday planning; and to
6,4 identify which traveller demographic(s) place higher importance on the ease of visa
facilitation procedures in conjunction with the other motivators of travel choice.
Additional, exploratory questions were used to discern whether travellers are willing to
procure visa facilitation services at an extra cost and the current trends in outbound
310 leisure travel from Dubai.
The travel trends revealed that of the respondents:
• 43 per cent travel to countries where they needed a travel visa one to two times a
year;
• 71 per cent of participants felt that when applying for a tourist visa to a country
that they have previously visited, the process is easier;
• 57 per cent of the participants plan one to three months in advance for their most
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significant annual vacation;

• 74 per cent stay in the foreign country for one to two weeks;
• 69 per cent of the participants would be willing to pay approximately 100 AED for
a completely online visa application process; and
• only 21 per cent of respondents had ever used a travel agent or other service to help
them apply for a visa.

A Pearson correlation was used to test the H1. Tourist visa application processes affect
destination perception. By comparing perception to perceived difficulties, perception to
choice and perceived difficulties to choice, it was revealed that generally the traveller’s
perception or revisit propensities were not impacted. This indicated that for this specific
sample, cumbersome visa applications are a “necessary bother”, although the length of
time required for processing (r ⫽ ⫺0.260, n ⫽ 1.283, p ⫽ ⬍ 0.05) was found to play a part
in the visitors’ negative perception even after a positive vacation experience in the
country. The elements that contributed most directly to the negative impression of the
country before the visit were: the number of documents required (r ⫽ ⫺0.217, n ⫽ 1.283,
p ⫽ ⬍ 0.05), the application time for the visa (r ⫽ ⫺0.267, n ⫽ 1.283, p ⫽ ⬍ 0.05) and the
processing time (r ⫽ ⫺0.260, n ⫽ 1.283, p ⫽ ⬍ 0.05) Table I.
The multiple linear regression was used to test H2. The relationship between tourist
visa application procedures and destination choice. Here, the statistical analysis found
that the ease of the tourist visa application process is a good indicator of destination

Pearson correlation for negative Pearson correlation for negative

Visa application components impacts BEFORE visit impacts AFTER visit

Cost of visa ⫺0.163** ⫺0.177**

Application time ⫺0.267** ⫺0.182**
Approval time ⫺0.260** ⫺0.200**
Denial chance ⫺0.129** ⫺0.097**
Table I. Unclear instructions ⫺0.173** ⫺0.182**
Visa application impacts Required documents ⫺0.217** ⫺0.113**
on destination perception Embassy visit ⫺0.149** ⫺0.084**
 choice for individuals that are likewise motivated by flight price (beta ⫽ 0.259, p ⬍ Travel visa
0.001) and travel budgets (beta ⫽ 0.123, p ⬍ 0.001) Table II.
This is quite significant for a large majority of the world’s travellers. Considering the
impacts on
rise in budget travel over the past decade, this is a large (potential) consumer segment. destination
Low-cost carriers could have the opportunity to help facilitate visa processes (given
their available resources) to capture a larger market share. Certain elements inherent in
the ease of the visa application process were also found to be good indicators of 311
destination choice, such as:
• the costs;
• the application times;
• the chance of denial;
• the number of documents required; and
• the required embassy visit.
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It is necessary to question the available options for visa facilitation procedures and to try
to establish a link to impacts felt by travellers whose passports do not readily qualify for
visa waivers. Some interesting contributions were made by the analysis of the research
data. The sample considered people who were well-educated, upper-middle class, with
few dependents and enjoyed travelling on a yearly basis, who planned their travels on a
relatively short time scale. The fact that the participants had for the most part the
economic disposition to travel and the opportunity, their perceptions of the destinations
based on the corresponding visa policies seemed to reflect the feeling that visas were an
unnecessary yet expected irritation. This, however, posed some interesting
opportunities for further research. The fact that the ease of visa application processes
were found to be aligned with travellers that were primarily motivated by travel
budgets and flight prices, presents avenues for further inquiry. It would be necessary to
survey a sample of a different socioeconomic standing or population mix to discover
whether travel when planned more rigorously with regards to budget affects the
destination perception and revisit propensity in response to the existing visa policies.
The research outcomes did indicate this to be a factor, and by surveying individuals who
can travel, albeit on a more restricted budgetary basis, it is felt that this would come
more to the foreground and the “necessary bother” perception would be less apparent.
Here, it would be likely that the ease of the visa application process would be a more
important factor in destination choice.

Tourism industry executive feedback

To enhance the results of the research and to highlight opportunities for visa facilitation,
service industry experts were approached for their endorsements and comments. With

Destination choice components Zero-order correlations Partial correlations

Flight price.1 0.439 0.303

Budget.1 0.376 0.184 Table II.
Flight price.2 0.439 0.259 Visa application impacts
Budget.2 0.376 0.123 on destination choice
 WHATT regard to the research outcomes, Mark Mortimer-Davies, MD & COO of Aimia, stated
that Aimia was very encouraged. Their significant contribution to the research, through
6,4 the use of the Air Miles Database, helped to provide insight into a sector that will be
crucial for Dubai’s successful presentation of the Expo 2020. For all of Dubai’s
operational sectors to pull together, the delivery of the Expo 2020 will require an even
greater level of cooperation and integration. He further stated that “we at AIMIA are
312 happy to have played a part in this key early research”.
Olivia Ruggles-Brise, Policy & Research Director for the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC), believes that while security is the responsibility of the home country,
there may be an opportunity for the creation of an international body to help oversee
security concerns for multiple countries. She also states that while available technology
is a plus, documentation requests should remain practical as the number of documents
required and extreme detail of information (such as familial origins can quickly become
unreasonable). Given the sheer amount of information requested by some countries,
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such as China, how is it possible to verify all of the information effectively?

Ruggles-Brise appreciated the scope of the research stating that while the economic
impact of visa facilitations have previously been measured by the WTTC, a study of
visitor perceptions and the impacts of visa policies on destination choice is a novel
approach. Considering the opportunities provided by tourism as an industry, the
facilitation for entry and degree of welcome felt by visitors would affect trade
agreements, investments and the conclusion of business deals that for many cultures are
required to be finalized in face-to-face encounters.
Dubai currently leverages the technology to provide electronic visa (e-visa)
application services, a simple process which allows visitors to both submit the required
documents and to pay online. Various organizations, such as [Link] or
TTServices UAE, offer this service. This is a model that should be emulated globally, as
countries cannot excuse the use of outdated, resource-consuming visa procedures any
longer, given the accessibility of current technology. This idea is echoed by the Jumeirah
Group’s CEO and President, Gerald Lawless, who states:
I think the concept of e-visas worldwide is a very worthy cause and one that hospitality
industry professionals must continue to fight for. The freedom to travel is a fundamental
driver for the tourism sector, which is a major contributor to the global economy and has many
far reaching social benefits. One of the concerns raised about e-visas has been security. We
would certainly not be promoting e-visas if we did not think there was adequate provision to
meet national and international security protocols; which is why it is so important to select a
common platform for electronic visas that meets the highest standards and maintains the
levels of security that we have today.
The success of the Dubai Expo 2020 will depend very much on people being able to travel
without any hindrance. By making it easy for eligible travelers to secure a visa electronically,
we are effectively saying, welcome’ and by adopting this approach we can ensure that many
more travellers will come to experience everything that Dubai and the UAE have to offer, not
least the inspiring beauty of EXPO 2020.
Further insights were provided by Geoffry Lipman, President of the International
Coalition of Tourism Partners – Formerly; President, WTTC; Executive Director,
International Air Transport Association, Assistant Secretary-General, United
Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He stated that 95 per cent of
visitors disembark in Dubai via airplane. His reaction to the results of the research
 were three-fold; first, he believes that Dubai does have a grand-scale visitor vision. Travel visa
Through the use of the e-visa system, Dubai is able to filter out any ineligible
applications electronically and rejects unwanted visitors at their home location,
impacts on
avoiding complications before they have even reached UAE. It does this well, and destination
visitors to Dubai do not expect to face heavy delays at borders. Second, in terms of
the global opportunity for visa facilitation, he believes that “visa liberalization has
to include humanization” and questions why border entry often requires visitors to 313
stand like cattle in lines for hours on end. This does not enhance the positive
perception of the destination. The use of reciprocity in visa policy design is also
short-sighted in his opinion. Finally, for policymakers, the issues of security and
illegal migration are primary concerns and the most important in any policy
formulation. Lipman’s reaction to the fact that individuals in the study found the
cumbersome requirements of visa applications to be “quid pro quo” rather
revealing, namely, that smart-visas have a very positive impact on security because
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they give nations a capacity to interface with an increasing, interconnecting array of

electronic databases that allow better scrutiny for immediate acceptance, rejection
or further analysis. He believes certain countries would benefit from repeat visits of
individuals who perceived the country’s visa process to be easy. He also agrees that
further research of perceptions and destination choice, as an outcome of visa policies
with a different demographic would be valuable, as Dubai’s primarily expatriate
population is rather unique in its make-up. His closing comment was the reflection
that Dubai shows good initiative with its e-visa application policy and is
commendable in formulating a smooth open model approach, which should be
emulated by other nations, especially for leveraging available technology.
How ready is Dubai for the upcoming demands on our support staff? How much
farther do we have to go? Two representatives from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and
Commerce Marketing (DTCM), helped to elaborate on the training initiatives being
undertaken to prepare for the onslaught of visitors to the Expo 2020. Ibrahim Yaqoot,
Executive Director Corporate Support, commented on the training for Dubai’s support
staff employed in the tourism sector. He indicated that the DTCM has already been
heavily involved in training taxi drivers, immigration officials, chauffeurs, airport staff
and other hospitality service providers since the beginning of 2013. Approximately half
of those individuals currently employed have passed through the training courses of the
DTCM. The national newspaper states that the hosting of the Expo 2020 is expected to
create around 277,000 new jobs (Arnold, 2013). With the expectations for these specific
service-industry employees being high, the pressure is on for training organizations in
UAE, especially hospitality specific training. Samy AbdelFattah Taha, DTCM-Senior
Specialist Training Solutions, adds that Dubai has the opportunity in terms of visa
facilitation to formulate and provide additional categories of entry visas. Currently, no
category of visa exists that includes visitors coming to Dubai for the purpose of
attending short-term professional training programmes. If implemented, this would be
an opportunity for Dubai to rely on human resources from the wider MENA region,
without necessarily being required to incorporate this additional support staff into its
number of permanent residents, the added benefit being the additional income from the
influx of visitors coming to Dubai to attend short-term professional development
programmes.
 WHATT Discussion and considerations
Properly managed, tourism is an important industry for many of the world’s nations.
6,4 Even autocratic regimes such as North Korea, Cuba and China do allow for some
restricted tourism activity to share in the economic benefits from the global tourism
industry. The primary concern for these governments is shielding their population from
foreign influence as a result of these visitors. Yet through permitting tourism, they do
314 not deny this as a valid source of revenue. Because of the ever-increasing number of
flights, destinations and cheaper airfare, tourism will only continue to grow over the
years. Therefore, the importance of aspects such as border security and the monitoring
of (illegal) migration are vital. Throughout the research process it became apparent that
currently technology does exist that allows for adherence to both of these factors. Not
only do current systems permit nations to protect themselves and to assist population
control but it also allows them to do so in a much more considerate and cost-efficient
manner. The amount of human and other administrative resources dedicated to the
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processing of paper-based visa systems is inexcusable. The collection and consolidation

of documents, personal information and the sharing of this material between friendly
nations is facilitated through the use of computer technology. One suggestion would be
that once legitimate travellers are identified, this is already being done only for residents
of their own countries (i.e. UAE e-gate system, US fast pass system) visa restrictions
could move towards chiefly application for entry into environmentally and culturally
sensitive areas. By allowing legitimate travellers to apply for international biometric
fast-pass visa systems, nations could instead focus on restricting access to culturally
and environmentally sensitive sites. Data-basing travellers’ profiles would allow for
these countries to step away from concentrating solely on border security and illegal
migration and focus on protecting their national assets (i.e. national parks and historical
sites). Finally, constricting these systems for application of solely national residents
does not necessarily enhance border security. The sad fact of domestic terrorism-related
tragedies over the past decade revealed that often the perpetrators were in fact residents
living in the countries of questions.
Combined with the rising availability of travel options is the fact that individuals are
able to travel more freely and often to a diverse number of destinations. The research
revealed that individuals motivated by flight prices and travel budgets are negatively
influenced by what they perceive to be bothersome visa application procedures, and
more specifically, the length of time required for processing and the obligation for a
face-to-face application interview. Here again, the opportunities presented by the use of
E-visa systems are highlighted. Through investing in their visa application systems and
re-formulating their policies, nations stand to benefit in three main areas. One, they can
benefit from increased tourism revenue. Two, they will realize substantial cost savings.
Three, they will not deter legitimate visitors and subsequently leave those visitors with
a positive perception of their country with the desire to return. Dubai is well on its way
for the preparation of receiving a myriad of different nationalities effectively and
considerately as the host of the World Expo 2020. Dubai is also positioning itself to take
advantage of the multiple benefits provided by visa facilitation. The E-visa is a valid
model for emulation, and combined with Dubai’s renowned sense of hospitality, this will
be sure to leave visitors with a positive perception of this visionary city and the intention
to return.
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About the author

Marina Duerrmeier Rizzi is a graduate of the world renowned Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, the
oldest and most prestigious hotel management university in the world. Beginning her exposure to
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a variety of international environments at an early age, her upbringing includes a mix of

American, European and South American cultures. She speaks French, German, Spanish and
Italian fluently. She also has an MSc degree in International Hospitality Management, is an
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute Certified Hospitality Trainer as well as an
Advanced Wine & Spirit Education Trust certificate holder. She joined EAHM after more than a
decade of operational management experience in international luxury hospitality. Some of her
former assignments include Rooms Division Manager – Chateau de Farcheville (Yellowstone Club
World), Housekeeping Manager – Yellowstone Club, Resident Manager – The private palace of
Her Highness Sheikha Aliaze Bint Zayed al Nayhan (Sea Palace, Abu Dhabi) and Executive
Housekeeper – the private residence of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bint Zayed al Nayhan.
Marina Duerrmeier Rizzi can be contacted at: [Link]@[Link]

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