Travel Markets Insider Newsletter Vol. 15 No. 50

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

 

Travel Markets Insider starts out the New Year with some reports of optimistic numbers growth and several important travel retail personnel changes at Spirits companies.

 

International tourism grew above expectations during the first nine months of 2013 reports the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, released last month. Europe, which is still the world’s most visited destination, turned in a surprisingly strong showing. The positive tourism growth was reflected in tourism receipts – where ten destinations reported double-digit growth among the largest 25 tourism earners – including the US and the UK. See full story on page 1.

 

Congratulations are again in order for Dubai Duty Free, which reached record-breaking sales of US$1.8 billion in 2013, including an incredible $30.65 million in the 24-hour period of its 30th Anniversary on Dec. 20. More details on page 1.

 

In People News, Rita Greenwood is to depart her travel retail role in an internal move at Wm Grant & Sons; Doron Friedman – a familiar figure in the Americas duty free spirits channel – has been named the new head of Global Travel Retail at The Absolut Company.  And Brown-Forman‘s popular Sylvia Murray has been given expanded responsibility as territory manager for US, Mexico and Caribbean Travel Retail. Full stories on pages 2-3.

 

Mexico airports. Following a long-simmering dispute between Advent International’s Latin American airport unit Fumisa and Mexico City airport authority AICM, the airport authority last week released a statement saying that Fumisa’s contract at Terminal 1 had expired on Dec. 31 and that AICM will directly lease all commercial spaces in the Terminal as of Jan. 1, 2014. See page 2 for more information.

 

Mexican airport operator ASUR reports 2013 passenger numbers strongly up and says that the Federal Government has approved its Master Development Programs for each of its 9 Mexican concessions for the 2014-2028 period. See page 4.

 

At the Point of Sale. L’Oreal’s Clarisonic division plans an ambitious rollout in the Americas travel retail market. Following the opening of five important travel retail doors over the last few months, the company says it plans to open as many as another 15 doors in 2014. Full story on page 3.

 

WEBB goes Italian!  Miami-based spirits distribution company WEBB has formed a new partnership with Illva Saronno, the Italian producer of iconic brands Disaronno amaretto and Tia Maria coffee liquor. Inside Insider, page 4.