PURCHASE, N.Y.—Mastercard said it is partnering with organizations such as the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) to advance more connected and more sustainable tourism.
Contributingmore than 10%to global GDP, travel and tourism is one of the world’s largest industries. While the sector is characterized by its resilience, it faces significant challenges such as digitization, mobility across borders and over-crowding, explained Mastercard.
The company outlined steps it is taking to assist this segment of the economy:
- Digitizing travel booking payments to create efficiencies for individual businesses and a more secure and stable environment for the entire industry
- Working with tourism players to explore the use of biometric technologiesfor more seamless and secure user experiences
- Partnering with over 100 cities to make access to public transporteasier through contactless and mobile ticketing
- Helping Destination Marketing Organizations to better understand travelers’ needs
- Working with national and regional governments to ensure communities benefit from tourism, e.g. by expanding access to electronic payment acceptance