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Heartbeat airport scan
Photograph: easyJet

Traditional passports may be replaced by human heartbeats in the future

Experts believe that by 2070, travel won't require passports, suitcases, tour guides, or translation dictionaries

Beril Naz Hassan
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Beril Naz Hassan
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Imagine rocking up to an airport and simply walking through security, instead of having to queue up, awkwardly stare at a camera, and worry about if they’ll make you justify your new questionable haircut because it doesn’t match your passport photo. 

Well, if you hang in there for 50 more years, easyJet's 2070: The Future Travel Report predicts that all you’ll need for a smooth security check will be your heartbeat. The experts are forecasting that passengers’ heartbeat signatures, which are unique to each person, will be used alongside their biometric information to check a person’s identity. 

They also believe that plane seats will be able to adapt to a person's body shape, and optoelectronic inflight entertainment will see content get beamed directly to passengers’ eyes. That’s not all: a language hearing aid will translate other languages in real-time, making the term ‘language barrier’ a thing of the past.

Once you arrive at your destination, a tailored hotel stay will be waiting for you. The experts expect smart rooms that allow guests to choose their desired bed firmness, room temperature, and ambient music to be introduced. And, advancements in 3D printing will mean you can arrive without a suitcase, as you will simply print the clothes and items you need when you arrive, only to pop them in a recycling bin when returning. 

Improved VR headsets are forecasted to make tour guides redundant, with tourists using their haptic suits and VR headsets to travel back in time to experience historical sites and learn all the fun facts. 

Is travelling about to get a whole lot easier or a whole lot more dystopian? We’ll leave that up to you.

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