Hyatt Hotels Corp. plans to incorporate a digital health passport into its events programs.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, we have believed accessibility to testing and resources would play a critical role in the travel industry’s recovery,” says Hyatt senior vice-president of global operations, Frank Lavey.
The hospitality company announced it would use the VeriFLY + Stay app on March 9. The mobile app provides real-time verification of COVID-19 credentials and travel guidelines. It is currently employed by American Airlines and other travel suppliers.
“(This) furthers our commitment to our guests’ and colleagues’ well-being, and represents an important step in providing peace of mind to meeting attendees before, during and after an event,” says Lavey.
Hyatt will first work closely with meeting planners to identify health criteria for attendees, which may include presenting a recent negative COVID-19 test. The criteria would be communicated to attendees in the app prior to arrival so they can fulfill necessary requirements. The app will then display a green checkmark for those who have been approved entry into the meeting or event.
Daon, the biometric authentication company that provides the VeriFLY mobile solution, will not send any personal or individual information to Hyatt or a Hyatt hotel; Hyatt will only receive aggregated and anonymized data from Daon.
“Throughout the pandemic we have stayed close to our customers to understand what’s most important to them and focus on solutions that meet their needs,” says Hyatt senior vice-president of events, Steve Enselein. “In listening to our customers, we know attendee safety and well-being remain top priorities for meeting planners, and we look forward to exploring VeriFLY + Stay with meeting planners to provide a new resource that assists with event execution.”
