In a huge dose of good news for the travel retail industry, the U.S. has agreed to suspend tariffs on UK goods including single malt whiskies, it was announced this morning. The tariffs were imposed in retaliation over subsidies to the aircraft maker Airbus. The duties will be suspended for four months while the two […]
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MAG USA to open new Escape Lounge at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
Chicago-based MAG USA has been awarded the contract to build and operate an Escape Lounge at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) post security in Terminal 3. The contract is a joint venture with Gideon Toal Management and Superior Hospitality Group. MAG USA anticipates this lounge to open near the end of this year. Escape Lounge FLL will be a common-use […]
UNWTO: 2020 worst year in tourism history with 1 billion fewer international arrivals; prospects of a rebound in 2021 seem to dim
Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74% according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than in the previous year, due to an unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions. This compares […]
U.S. passenger traffic plunged to its lowest level since the mid-1980s
U.S. passenger airline traffic fell 60.1% in 2020 to the lowest number since 1984 as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated demand for air travel, the U.S. Transportation Department. Total passenger traffic reached 368 million in 2020, down from 922.6 million in 2019. The previous yearly low was 351.6 million in 1984, according to the DOT’s Bureau […]
‘Lost decade of growth’ as tariffs and COVID hit Scotch Whisky exports
Global exports of Scotch Whisky fell by more than £1.1bn during 2020, according to figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The export figures are the lowest they have been in a decade, as the combined impact of COVID-19 and the 25% tariff in the United States hit distillers hard. In 2020, the export […]
Zachary Sulkes lands senior position with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH)
Zachary Sulkes, well known and respected from his many years in charge of Bacardi’s cruise business, has joined Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) as Beverage Category Manager, with responsibility for all beverage and tobacco purchasing on Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet of 17 ships. Sulkes has a long relationship with NCLH. He was Manager of Onboard […]
Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 22 No. 7
The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link. It should come as no surprise that the full year figures from the travel and tourism sectors reached record lows in 2020. In fact, destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals last year compared to […]
Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 22 No. 6
The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link. While the past year has been devastating for the cruise industry around the world, Carnival Cruise Line and PortMiami are looking ahead to recovery. The two held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the state-of-the-art $120 million Terminal […]
DISCUS: Pandemic leads to major shift in U.S. alcohol buying habits
There is no question that spirits sales in travel retail are suffering but some positive news from U.S. domestic off-premise markets indicates strong consumer demand that spells optimistic potential recovery for travel retail post-COVID, particularly among more premium brands. The pandemic’s devastating impact on the U.S. hospitality industry in 2020 resulted in major shifts in […]
Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 22 No. 5
The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link. The Duty Free World Council held another critical, far-reaching webinar yesterday entitled Year of Recovery? Note the question mark – it was there for a reason. TMI will cover the various presentations—especially those that pertain to the Americas – […]
Pernod Ricard GTR opens state-of-the-art Maison Martell Boutique in Hainan
Illustrating limitless innovation, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail (PR GTR) opened its first-ever travel retail boutique for Maison Martell in China Duty Free Group’s (CDFG) Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre on January 28, 2021. The state-of-the-art boutique, the first Pernod Ricard-owned store on the island, features a one-of-a-kind digital façade and touchless technology that […]
Leo Dotolo launches Lion’s Head Consultants to assist companies with training and planning as they come back from pandemic closings
As vaccines continue to roll out and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic becomes more feasible, well-known duty free executive Leo Dotolo has opened a new company called Lion’s Head Consultants based in South Florida. Dotolo decided to offer his consulting services after being in contact with many of his previous clients, retailers and suppliers, […]
Nestlé’s Smarties becomes the first global confectionery brand to switch to recyclable paper packaging
In a major move, Nestlé announced that its popular Smarties brand is now using recyclable paper packaging for its confectionery products worldwide. This represents a transition of 90% of the Smarties range, as 10% was previously already packed in recyclable paper packaging. Smarties is the first global confectionery brand to switch to recyclable paper packaging, removing approximately 250 million […]
Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 22 No. 4
The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link. This week the focus is on sustainability, with two of the leading brands in travel retail — Nestlé and The Estée Lauder Companies–underlining their commitments to protecting the environment. In a major move, Nestlé announced on January 26 that its popular Smarties is […]
WEBB Banks to distribute Infinium Spirits portfolio
WEBB Banks has signed an agreement with California-based distributor Infinium Spirits to distribute its spirits portfolio in travel retail in the Americas, cruise lines, the Caribbean basin and select Central American markets, effective immediately. Under the agreement, WEBB Banks will exclusively distribute and represent Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Templeton Rye American Whiskey, Zaya Rum as […]
