The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is calling on governments in more than 45 countries across the region not to overlook those working in the region’s duty free and travel retail industry.
Grant Fleming, President of APTRA fears the region’s $36 billion travel retail industry and the more than 320,000 people that work within it are at risk of being overlooked by politicians as they devise financial rescue measures in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak. Subsequently APTRA is asking that duty free and travel retail industry are included in the same financial support packages as airlines, airports and maritime industries.
Airport retail and commercial services which includes food and beverage, provide up to 60% commercial income for airport owners and as such constitute a crucial business sector, the association argues. “The dynamics of duty free and travel retailing are intrinsically linked to the aviation and maritime industries and its viability is entirely dependent on the return in passenger traffic,” said Fleming.
Headded: “ The travel ecosystem is multifaceted and, beyond airports, the duty free and travel retail industry integrates deeply with the region’s vital tourism market – directly with operators such as airport retailers, airlines, cruise-lines and downtown shopping malls and also indirectly with everything from hotels to travel agents and tour guides. We are calling on over 45 governments across the region to recognise the unique economic contribution of the entire Travel Retail industry and to prioritise support packages to our channel and the many that are, and will be, affected financially by COVID-19.”
