At HITEC Indianapolis, one of the most forward-thinking sessions tackled a topic set to redefine how the hospitality industry engages with its guests: Decentralized Identity, sometimes referred to as Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI). In a world where personalisation and data privacy increasingly go hand in hand, Decentralized Identity offers a radical new approach that empowers travellers to take control of their digital identities while enabling hotels, airlines, and travel providers to deliver seamless, secure, and highly personalised experiences. Click here for the PowerPoint presentation.

The session, titled “Leveraging SSI for Secure, Seamless Guest Experiences”, was led by an expert panel including Doug Rice, Managing Director of Hospitality Technology Network; Bill Carroll, former Cornell Hotel School professor and senior Hertz executive; Nick Price, ex-CIO of Mandarin Oriental and citizenM; and Kim Duffy, Executive Director of the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF). Together, they outlined why Decentralized Identity represents a game-changing opportunity for hospitality and shared real-world examples of its implementation in travel.

Why Digital Identity Needs to Change

The session opened with a provocative question: Why has the way we manage identity in travel remained largely unchanged for decades?

When you book a hotel or flight, you still manually provide personal details, loyalty numbers, and preferences. You then repeat these steps at check-in or at each interaction point along your journey,” Doug Rice observed. “This fragmented approach creates friction for travellers and inefficiencies for providers. Worse still, it leaves sensitive data scattered across hundreds of systems, making it vulnerable to breaches.

Enter Decentralized Identity. It allows individuals to hold and manage their identity credentials, requirements, and preferences in a secure digital wallet, granting access to verified information only when necessary and only to authorised parties.

“It is a paradigm shift,” Rice said. “With Decentralized Identity, travellers own their data and decide who can access it. Hotels and travel providers, in turn, get accurate, up-to-date, and verified information—without the risk and cost of storing vast customer databases.”

Putting Guests in Control: The Economist’s View

Bill Carroll provided an economist’s perspective, framing it as a natural evolution of market dynamics.

Today, the power lies with companies holding customer data. SSI flips that dynamic, putting travellers in charge. They own their profiles, preferences, and credentials. Suppliers and intermediaries must engage with these guest-owned profiles to remain relevant. Bill Carroll, former Cornell Hotel School professor 

Carroll stressed that this is not merely a technological issue but an economic imperative. “Adoption of common schemas and profiles creates a Pareto optimal condition—everyone benefits. Travellers gain satisfaction and trust. Hotels achieve cost savings, enhanced loyalty, and reduced compliance risks. The market becomes more efficient.”

Recalling his own experience developing schemas for global distribution systems in the airline industry, Carroll drew a parallel. “When we standardised airline reservation data in the 1980s, it created the foundation for today’s seamless booking systems. SSI has the same potential for travel and hospitality—but on a much larger scale.”

Real-World Use Cases: From Theory to Practice

Nick Price took the audience into the practical world of decentralized identity implementations. Drawing on current projects and pilots, he demonstrated how it is already solving long-standing challenges across the travel journey.

1. Seamless Travel Journeys – Price began with the most familiar pain point: a traveller facing a delayed flight that disrupts dinner reservations, car rentals, and hotel check-ins. “Why can the airline not notify downstream providers automatically?” he asked. “The answer lies in the lack of interoperable systems and incentives. SSI solves this by placing the traveller at the centre. Their verified credentials can be shared securely with each provider in real time.” This traveller-centric model eliminates the need for multiple apps or accounts, with all preferences and credentials—loyalty status, allergies, payment details—stored in a single digital wallet.
2. Hotel Check-In and Guest Preferences – Imagine arriving at a hotel where the check-in process recognises you instantly, verifies your identity securely, and provides a digital room key—all without presenting physical documents. “Hotels could receive verified guest preferences directly from the traveller’s wallet: room temperature, pillow type, dietary restrictions,” Price said. “This allows true hyper-personalisation and eliminates repetitive requests for the same information.”

Decentralized Identity in Action: Large-Scale Pilots

The panel showcased several significant pilots and projects demonstrating decentralized identity’s potential:

• The EU Digital Wallet Consortium – This ambitious project involves the EU Commission and 27 member states. It is developing a digital travel credential containing passport details, biometrics, and verified preferences. Travellers use these credentials across borders, airports, and hotels without repeated identity checks.
• Delta and Aruba Seamless Travel – This pilot connects flight bookings, hotel check-ins, and car rentals using SSI credentials. The result is a frictionless journey from departure to destination.
• Estonia’s National Digital Identity – Estonia, a pioneer in digital public infrastructure, offers lessons for hospitality. Its national identity framework enables residents and visitors to access services across sectors, including hospitality, with a single secure identity.

Beyond Travel: In-Destination Experiences

While many SSI pilots focus on airports and border control, Price emphasised its transformative potential in-destination.

“The reason people travel is to experience destinations—not airports. SSI can enable real-time sharing of preferences with restaurants, tour operators, and attractions. Imagine a culinary tour guide instantly knowing dietary restrictions or a dive operator verifying certifications securely without paperwork,” he explained.

Other use cases include:

• Age Verification: For alcohol purchases or age-restricted activities without revealing unnecessary personal details.
• Verified Guest Reviews: Ensuring only verified guests can leave feedback, reducing fake reviews.
• Continuous Communication: Peer-to-peer channels between hotels and guests before, during, and after their stay for upselling, service requests, and loyalty offers.

Why Should Hospitality Leaders Care?

Kim Duffy highlighted the urgency for the hospitality sector to engage with decentralized identity now.

“Governments worldwide are rolling out digital identity infrastructure. In Europe alone, hundreds of millions of travellers will soon carry digital wallets. Hotels must prepare to interact with these credentials or risk falling behind,” she warned.

Duffy added that decentralized identity also addresses growing concerns about data privacy. “Seventy percent of travellers feel they lack control over their personal data. SSI empowers them, while reducing compliance risks for hotels handling sensitive information under GDPR and similar regulations.”

The Call to Action: Get Involved

The panel concluded with a clear message for hospitality professionals: act now.

“Get involved in the Decentralized Identity Foundation’s working groups. Educate your leadership teams on the strategic implications of SSI. Empower your technical teams to explore implementation pathways,” Carroll advised.

Price added, “This is the beginning of a fundamental change. Just as the internet transformed bookings, SSI will transform guest engagement. The winners will be those who lead, not those who wait.”

The DIF offers resources including implementation guides, strategic overviews for executives, and technical documentation. Industry professionals can also join regular webinars and special interest groups focusing on hospitality use cases.

The Future of Guest Engagement

As the hospitality industry grapples with evolving guest expectations and tightening privacy regulations, decentralized identity offers a compelling path forward. It promises a future where travellers control their data, providers deliver seamless and personalised experiences, and the industry operates with greater trust and efficiency.

For now, the question is no longer if decentralized identity will shape hospitality—it is how soon your organisation will embrace it.

To learn more or join the DIF movement, visit the Decentralized Identity Foundation website at identity.foundation. To learn more about the Hospitality & Travel Workgroup, click here.