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 our lead story, TMI reports on the efforts by the International Association of Airport & Duty Free Stores to make sure that the duty free and travel retail concessionaires — especially in the United States — are included in any relief packages now before the U.S. Congress for consideration.
We spoke at length with IAADFS President and CEO Michael Payne about the travel retail industry’s joining with a bi-partisan government and aviation effort to provide financial stability to the airline industry. Story begins on page 1.
With news changing almost by the hour, TMI has gathered together a partial list of how some airports are responding to the requests for concessionaire relief. Page 2.
ALONG THE BORDERS
The U.S. and Canadian governments agreed to close their shared border to non-essential traffic on Wednesday, March 18. While some stores that serve commercial trucks carrying essential goods have remained open, many others have closed.
TMI speaks with Barbara Barrett, Executive Director of Canada’s Frontier Duty Free Association, and with border store operators throughout Canada. Page 3.
The U.S. and Mexico suspended non-essential travel not related to trade and commerce, education and medical purposes, at all ports of entry, it was announced on Friday, March 20. TMI speaks with Irene Rojas, marketing manager at Baja Duty Free owner Fairn & Swanson, about the status of the Baja Duty Free stores in Texas and California. Page 3.
COMPANIES STEP UP TO HELP
Companies from throughout the spirits, beauty, luxury goods and travel and tourism industry are rushing to provide goods and services to help with the global public health crisis caused by the coronavirus. Page 5. Here are just a few of them:
Carnival Corp. has offered select ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia to be used as floating hospitals in the coronavirus fight. Ships would be used for non-coronavirus patients.
MSC Group’s ferry ship Splendid was delivered to Genoa after being converted into a “floating hospital” ship to support the coronavirus battle going on in Italy. These beds will be used for patients recovering from COVID-19 before returning home.
SPIRITS
The Spirits industry has been particularly pro-active, with companies like Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Brown-Forman and Campari donating funds and goods to aid the cause. See detail on page 4.
PEOPLE
Legendary hotelier Sol Kerzner, who created the iconic Atlantis Paradise resort in The Bahamas, passed away at his family home in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday, March 21, following a battle with cancer. He was 84 years old. Bahamian tourism officials respond. Page 1.
