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NEWS & NOTES
Amidst the news of new tariffs going into effect and market sell-offs, some of the major travel retail giants announced solid first half results. Avolta delivered organic growth of +5.7% and like-for-like growth of +4.9%, driven by strong performance in all markets except North America, which was mostly flat due to softer passenger traffic in the U.S. See more details on page 1.
Lagardère also turned in solid first half results for 2025, and announced some major executive moves: Cyril Letocart, who did such a sterling job of overseeing the opening of the new flagship at Lima Airport, has now assumed the role of CEO Lagardère Travel Retail in New Zealand. He will be joined by Laura Perron, who has been named Chief Commercial Officer. Perron had led the food service setup in Chile and Peru. Miguel Ruiz, who was Commercial Director for Lagardère in Peru, succeeds Letocart in Latin America. Read the story on page 3.
BY THE NUMBERS
Canada continues to suffer from the “current geopolitical uncertainties” says Destination Canada, which reports the country’s fourth consecutive monthly decline in inbound travel. Even more worrisome, the downturn now encompasses travelers from France, Germany and Mexico, as well as the U.S., with arrivals from the UK and Australia flat. Page 1.
Paradoxically, the World Travel & Tourism Council was calling Canadian tourism a “bright spot” and had forecast that travel and tourism would contribute almost $183 billion to the economy in 2025. See what the organization is cautioning now. Page 2
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IATA has issued its annual World Air Transport Statistics report. Highlights underline the strong increase in premium class travel; and how Asia Pacific dominates the rankings for the world’s busiest airport pairs. The U.S. remains the world’s biggest aviation market, however. See page 2.
ESG
As part of the roll out of its new ESG strategy, ARI has appointed a team of ESG Champions tasked with assisting in the implementation the program’s four-pillared approach of People, Planet, Product and Passenger. Page 2.
CRUISE
Starboard announces new partnership onboard Princess Cruises’ Star Princess. Page 4.
Mexico reports 5.6 cruise passengers in H1 2025, up 8.4% from previous year. Page 4.
LATAM & CARIBBEAN
Remodeled Voltran Duty Free in Belize’s Corozel Free Zone introduces new brands. Page 5.
The Dominican Republic sets new tourism arrivals record. Page 6.
IN THE TMI SPOTLIGHT
Weitnauer Group celebrates 160-year legacy with 30% expansion in global reach. Group President Eric Laurant talks about how Weitnauer, since January 2024, has opened 30 new markets across Europe, CIS, Middle East, the USA, South America and Africa in order to leverage the opportunities it sees in the luxury goods markets in emerging economies. Read more on page 6.
SUPPLY SIDE
Ferrero Travel Market unveils Kinder Catch The Stars campaign for Cancun and select international airports. Page 5.
Coty Travel Retail launches exclusive avant-première rollout of BOSS Bottled Beyond EDP in major airports worldwide. The launch features a global campaign starring A-listers Bradley Cooper, Maluma, and Vinicius Junior as the new global ambassadors of BOSS Bottled Beyond, who capture the essence of brotherhood. See more details on page 7.
Philip Morris International GTR unveils its first dedicated smoke-free digital website designed to provide legal-age nicotine users information on the availability of smoke-free products across key global airports and domestic markets. Page 7.
