Scrapping Australia’s incoming passenger card among changes that could bring in $50bn a year, report says

If you’ve ever awkwardly scrambled to find a pen to fill in the incoming passenger card on a flight into Australia, you’re not alone.

A report from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for the paper cards to be abolished, one of several recommendations aimed at modernising Australian air and seaports’ passenger processing.

The paper cards, a staple of air travel to Australia, were dubbed “antiquated” by the chamber, who warned their use risked Australia’s reputation as a desirable destination for tourists.

The card asks passengers to declare food, plant material and animal products, as well as to provide personal details like your address in Australia, passport number and an emergency contact.

• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

The report also called for multiple-entry visas available for key markets such as India and China, replacing the SmartGate system with “passenger on the move” technology and to ensure an appropriate amount of air traffic in and out of Australian airports in a bid to keep prices competitive.

The Australian Chamber – Tourism executive chair, John Hart, said modernising the inbound and outbound passenger experience could mean huge revenue for the tourism industry.

Related: Storms, fires and floods: Blue Mountains Jenolan Caves to close after series of unforgiving weather events

“We estimate the changes would bring in an additional $50bn a year with appropriate targeting and with the appropriate reputation. We have done the analysis and we believe the gap is that wide.”

Hart said the incoming passenger cards were a “huge sticking point in terms of reputation”.

“Most aircrafts don’t have a supply of 400 pens to be handing around to people as they arrive. Just seeing those visions of people handing around a biro, standing around baggage claim filling them out, it’s absurd.”

“Especially when 90% of the information on the form has already been given to three or four people in the supply chain, like airlines or hotels.”

He said it was about eliminating the “annoying” parts of the inbound and outbound passenger process, in a bid to attract more return visitations.

“We are at the end of the Earth, so we need to be attracting high-value travellers that make the journey worthwhile.”

According to the World Economic Forum, Australia ranks 53rd for ground and port infrastructure and 112th for price competitiveness out of 119 countries.

The report said it was “imperative” that barriers preventing international visitors from travelling to Australia were reduced or, where possible, removed.

“Many of these barriers exist in the form of expensive and complex visas. This part of the traveller journey – towards the beginning of any inbound traveller’s journey – could easily be the reason a prospective traveller reconsiders Australia as a destination,” the report read.

“There is a clear need to adopt emerging technology in better facilitating travellers in and out of Australia.”

“Whether this be through check-in services or collecting required data through immigration, Australia is being left behind in its resistance to embrace this technology.”