Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 16 No. 23

The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link.

In a week marked by a horrific loss of life from the shoot-down of a commercial passenger jet and two other tragic plane crashes, plus the restriction of flights into and out of Israel due to security concerns, worries over the pace of international travel are rising.

The growing concern comes at the same time that the World Tourism Organization released its mid-year UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, which showed that demand for international travel in all regions for the first four months of 2014 surpassed expectations. WTO’s forecast for the May-August period – the peak period for travel in the Northern Hemisphere – was very positive, but was made before this week’s events. The Barometer forecast can be found on page 2.

BY THE NUMBERS. LVMH says that negative currency exchange rates and destocking of cognac in China impacted the bottom line in the first half of the year, although overall revenues grew 3 percent. LVMH’s Specialty Retail group delivered the strongest revenue growth, but DFS also saw a drop in profitability caused by lower spending by Japanese tourists due to the weakness of the Yen. Page 1.

In a major coup, Dubai-based travel retail operator Flemingo International announced another contract in its expanding Americas business with the signing of the duty free contract at Paraguay’s Asuncion airport. The company has also brought in former Calvin Klein Travel Retail Director Javier Brandwain to oversee the growing Americas portfolio. See details on page 1.

More Latin America News. London Supply completes the third phase of its multi-faceted educational and community projects in Puerto Iguazu – the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Nursery School which will provide child care for babies as young as 45 days old. Page 3.

Low-cost Brazilian carrier AZUL Airlines is planning to launch its first US services by the end of this year. See details on page 3.

SUPPLY SIDE. Miami-based distribution company Actium held a very special Beauty Adviser Seminar in New York City for the L’OrĂ©al Luxe brands it represents in the Caribbean.

SERVICES. UK-based specialist travel retail consultancy One Red Kite sees the future of TR marketing is through video and social media and has expanded its services to offer the media skill sets to meet this need. Read more on page 4.

SPECIAL NOTICE. DUTY FREE AMERICAS is holding its first annual Charity Golf Tournament in Weston, Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. Proceeds of the Tournament will go to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Those wishing to attend, sponsor or donate to the event, must register by July 31st. See details on Pages 1 & 4.