Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 22 No. 31

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

In what is sure to be recognized as a watershed week in travel, the last 10 days have been flooded with positive developments. On Oct. 12, the Department of Homeland Security finally announced the opening of the U.S. land borders for vaccinated Canadians and Mexicans, and three days later expanded the opening to include foreign air travelers from key markets, including the all-important Atlantic corridor. The Biden administration also set a specific date – Nov. 8! Travel stocks and bookings are reportedly soaring. See more details and the FDFA’s reaction to the eagerly-awaited news on pages 1 & 2.

In Good News for Travel Retail specifically, IAADFS announced it will be holding a live Summit of the Americas event in Palm Beach next April, albeit in modified form to accommodate the COVID changes. And TFWA “was thrilled” to announce the return of its Asia-Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore next May. Page 1. 

In the here and now, the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo took place last week, and was quite a feast for the eyes and filled with information (I personally loved the Cruise Jetty!) Although its timing was a little difficult for those of us in the Americas, the six-week encore provides ample time to review any presentations that you may have missed the first time around.

On the last day of the “live” event, the organizers announced the winners of the inaugural Travel Retail Superstar Awards, which recognized quite a few people and companies from the Americas. See page 5 for the list. 

PEOPLE & COMPANY NEWS

With the new U.S. travel policies, Miami International Airport expects a big boost in travel. MIA has been the busiest U.S. airport for international traffic over the past year, and reports that its departing seat capacity for domestic travel through the end of the year is already 10% above its 2019 level. Page 2.

PEOPLE

Many “Movers and Shakers” are on the move.

The Airport Restaurant & Retail Association (ARRA) has appointed a new executive director. Industry veteran Andrew Weddig will succeeds Rob Wigington who served as ARRA’s inaugural executive director, and helped establish ARRA as a leading authority in airport concessions, and provided invaluable guidance in the early days of the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. Page 3.

Carnival Corporation has named John Padgett as the President of Princess Cruises. Page 3.

Neil Ebbutt will depart Rituals Cosmetics after 20 years of leading it to become such a key brand in travel retail; he will be replaced by the very well-known Melvin Broekaart, who brings a diverse background to the role. Page 3.

Mars Wrigley Confectionery is looking to accelerate its drive for category growth and has set up a new Travel Retail Customer Marketing position. Page 4.

In more news from Mars Wrigley ITR, the company will announce details of its ambitious plan to accelerate category growth in Cannes, and will showcase core new products to reach this end. Page 4. 

PHILANTHROPHY

Estée Lauder. October is the traditional month to focus on Breast Cancer Awareness, led by The Estée Lauder Companies. This year, The Estée Lauder Companies Travel Retail division has committed US$250,000 to fund a research grant for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Page 6.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s has announced some very high profile, key golf sponsorships with the PGA Tour and Ryder Cup. As part of the sponsorships, Love, Tito’s, the company’s philanthropic division, will engage in initiatives to increase its impact in communities where PGA Tour events are held.

Tito’s will be exhibiting in its own space for the first time in Cannes this year. See them at Red Village, H2. Read the story on page 6.