International tourism sells the promise of a borderless world: open skies, new horizons, the freedom to explore. But for the holder of a weak passport, that promise rings hollow.

The Henley Passport Index (HPI) ranks the world’s passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit visa-free. This may be affected by factors like a country’s economic and political stability, colonial history and association with risks or terrorism. Singaporean passport holders currently top the list, enjoying visa-free access to 192 destinations worldwide. Afghan nationals, at the other end – only 23.

In a recent study, my co-author Samira Zare and I explored the challenges that tourists with low-ranking passports face at airport borders.

Travelling with a weak passport is costly and time-consuming. Before a holiday even begins, tourists with a weak passport navigate visa applications months in advance. They may attend interviews, provide extensive documentation and still be rejected.

Crossing a border is one of the most charged moments in any trip. Our research reveals that tourists regularly encounter both subtle and overt challenges at border control, which they perceive to be influenced by assumptions about their passport, nationality, race, gender and class. These experiences leave real emotional marks.

We found that tourists, particularly those with weak passports, often adopt certain qualities – softening their tone, smiling more than feels natural and overexplaining their itinerary........

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