The Travel Markets Insider newsletter is attached to this post as a PDF file. To open the PDF file, please click on this link.
TMI presents a very mixed bag of news in this issue.
A highlight of the week is the opening of a new travel retail store by 3Sixty Duty Free & More at Terminal C of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. 3Sixty reports that DFW is currently the world’s busiest airport. Page 1.
The demand for testing, rather than blanket quarantines, is gathering momentum from industry groups around the world, as global travel continues to be decimated by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We urgently need to replace blanket quarantine measures with rapid, comprehensive and cost-effective test and trace programs at departure points across the country…” said Gloria Guevara, World Travel & Tourism Council President & CEO. Her plea was echoed by ACI, IATA, U.S.-based Airlines 4 America, and a group of 13 CEOs from America’s most-recognized travel-related companies, all of which were also begging for more government relief measures to sustain aviation and travel/tourism. Pages 1-3.
A growing number of airports are in fact planning to introduce one form or another of rapid testing on-site. Most recently, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a testing program would be started at JFK and LaGuardia airports. Page 3.
M1nd-set. The travel retail sector across Europe can also expect mixed prospects in-store as shoppers begin to travel again in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, reports the latest m1nd-set shopper behavior report. Despite the unprecedented traffic declines across Europe over the second quarter and uncertain times ahead, the news is not all ‘doom and gloom,’ according to m1nd-set. European travel got a big boost last week following the relaxation of travel restrictions in the Schengen Area, although some additional quarantine measures constrained the improvement. See report highlights on page 3.
In more positive news, Canadian airline Air Transat is expanding service to the Caribbean and Latin America, and will fly to more than 40 destinations from airports in Canada from Nov. 1. Page 6.
Labor Day travels! Americans are still planning to travel this Labor Day weekend despite COVID-19 concerns. And despite being a “hotspot” of virus cases for most of the summer, Florida is reportedly the most popular destination, according to travel itinerary app TripIt. See more travel results from the survey on page 6.
ASSOCIATIONS
The Duty Free World Council (DFWC) will host a second webinar on the state of the industry on Thursday, September 17, from 14.00 – 15.30 hrs CET (9 am EST). More details on page 1.
Due to the cancellation this year of TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, TFWA will hold its Annual General Meeting via video-conference. The virtual event will be held in two parts. A video-conference on October 1 will be an interactive meeting held via the Zoom platform, followed by online voting on Oct.1-Oct. 2. See more on page 2.
PEOPLE
It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Jose Luis Lara, one of the most popular and respected makeup artists and beauty people in the travel retail Americas industry over the past two decades. Jose Luis’ long time “company family” Tairo International held an emotional, heartfelt Memorial over Zoom last week, with more than 60 friends, family and colleagues attending. See page 4.
More People News
Felipe Grant moves to senior position at Puig.
Anna Miller and Ekaterina Ievleva see promotions at L’Occitane Travel Retail.
Edrington Global Travel Retail. Jeremy Speirs, who now heads Edrington’s global travel retail business as Regional Managing Director, comments on the company’s new organization. Page 4.
Amy Hildreth to leave travel retail. One of the saddest side effects of the current pandemic is receiving word that long-time friends and colleagues are leaving the industry in the wake of the virtual shut down of all travel and tourism. ALFA Brands operation manager Amy Hildreth, who has spent 22 years helping company founder Franco Gabriele launch myriad brands into the U.S. and Canadian travel marketplace, has now joined this list. We certainly hope to be seeing her again when the industry recovers. See story on page 6.
TMI SPECIAL REPORT
Engaging your audience in a virtual world –
corporate event agency Vibe invites industry to communication symposium
Considering the investment of time, resources, and technology that goes into coordinating a virtual event – making certain you’re getting the best-possible return-on-
