Images of the Year III

A joyous Hong Kong landmark

In early July we captured a joyous landmark in Hong Kong International Airport’s (HKIA) history, as the Special Administrative Region’s gateway celebrated its 25th anniversary. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) Chairman Jack So, Chief Executive Officer Fred Lam, Board Members and Executive Directors gathered with the airport community, passengers and members of the public as celebrations kicked off in the Terminal 1 Arrivals Hall. Full story here.

Showcasing the street flavours of Taiwan

Ever Rich Group opened a ‘Street Flavours’ themed gourmet corner and dining zone at Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2, in July, to coincide with the start of the peak summer travel season.

The area showcases the flavours of Taiwan’s culinary scene and features a curated selection of renowned culinary establishments. These include VWI by ChadWang, a brand led by world coffee champion Chad Wang (winner of the World Brewers Cup Championship); Le Moût Pâtisserie Boulangerie, helmed by renowned female chef Lanshu Chen; Halal Beef Noodles, known for its diverse culinary offerings and Wang’s Broth, popular for its Michelin-recommended black gold mushroom braised pork rice.

The gate lounge houses interactive audio-visual installations and thematic displays that showcase the richness of Taiwanese culinary culture.

More on this story here.

Berlin’s history reimagined

A selection of highly memorable images came from Gebr. Heinemann and its Berlin Brandenburg Airport operations in July. The retailer partnered with the Cold War Museum Berlin to feature that institution’s latest collection at Terminals 1 and 2.

The project was highlighted by a display of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s spacesuit on loan from the museum in T1’s Market Place. Gagarin was the first human to orbit earth, doing so in his spacecraft Vostok 1 on 12 April 1961. Other images appear at the link here.

Heathrow’s World of Tennis

Eyewear specialist EssilorLuxottica and Dufry (now Avolta) revealed a World of Tennis pop-up at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 in July. The activation showcased Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear inspired by the Wimbledon tennis championship, which ran in the same month.

The campaign’s target audience encompassed summer travellers, as well as those who flew in to attend the Wimbledon tournament. The 360-degree campaign incorporated the retailer’s comprehensive marketing platform, Emotion+, delivering customer engagement through both online and offline promotion.

More on this story here.

La Mer’s Shanghai Hongqiao landmark

The Estée Lauder Companies and Dufry partnered to open a striking La Mer boutique at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in August. The standalone boutique is located in Terminal 2, which welcomes 37 million passengers each year. The opening marked La Mer’s first standalone boutique in the Chinese airport duty paid channel. The 54sq m space offered an immersive luxury experience offering La Mer’s skincare, body care and makeup lines.

More on this story here.

Jack Daniel’s goes into overdrive at Schiphol

Brown-Forman and Gebr. Heinemann teamed up to create a memorable Jack Daniel’s X McLaren pop-up at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in August.

The animation, located in the Lounge 2 promotional point, captured the attention of whisk(e)y and racing enthusiasts by presenting a McLaren Racing replica show car and a limited-edition bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

The pop-up was dressed in a sleek black and orange colour palette, reflecting the hues of the Jack Daniel’s whiskey and bottle.

Click here for the full story.

Burberry Goddess grabs the attention

Coty Travel Retail Europe partnered with Dufry (now Avolta), Heathrow Airport and JCDecaux for an eye-catching pre-launch of Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum at London Heathrow Airport.

The scent was promoted via an immersive Burberry pop-up at Terminal 4 through July and August. The space immersed travellers into Burberry’s rich brand heritage and offered an interactive digital experience that integrated various touchpoints to offer a personalised fragrance discovery journey.

Click here for the full story.

Intervals – “An unprecedented airport destination”

In August we introduced readers to one of the coolest settings for any cocktail bar in the world. Intervals was brilliant new concept from Plaza Premium Group located on Hong Kong International Airport’s (HKIA) magnificent Sky Bridge.

Plaza Premium Group dubbed the venue “an unprecedented airport destination”, one that elevates the airport experience with an innovative food and drinks programme within a breathtaking setting.

It elevates the experience in a literal sense too, being sited 28m above the ground on the world’s longest airside bridge, while featuring splendid panoramic views of the airfield and Lantau island beyond. And to cap it off, Intervals memorably won a FAB Award for Best New Food & Beverage Opening in September.

More on this story here.

Going local at Helsinki Airport

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport extended its rich choice of dining outlets in August as it expanded its airside food court.

Centrally located, the expansive dining area was designed to complement the terminal’s award-winning Nordic architecture. It offers international flyers a diverse selection of choices, including three bespoke brands created by SSP Finland.

Click here for the full story.

“An extravaganza of luxury and rewards”

In August, back by a powerful media campaign, Mumbai Duty Free unveiled its blockbuster Shopping Carnival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

The promotion ran until 30 September, featuring exclusive offers and prizes for shoppers at the arrivals and departures stores, as well as through the Adani One app.

More on this story here.

Chinese group travel resumes to Korea

It has been a long time between visits. In August Lotte Duty Free welcomed around 150 Chinese travellers at its Myeong-dong store in Seoul, the first Chinese group tourists to visit the store for six years and five months since March 2017 when the THAAD anti-missile system dispute between China and the Republic of Korea erupted.

That bitter row was followed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 which prevented any resumption of group travel business.

About 150 Chinese cruiseline tourists who had arrived on the New Grand Peace at Pyeongtaek Port on a two-night, three-day tour enjoyed duty free shopping at the Lotte Duty Free flagship.

Click here for the full story.

Milestone moment at Starry Galleria

Sunday (3 September) was a red-letter day for DFS Group and the Sino-Singapore Chongqing Airport Commercial Management Co at a dual inauguration that raised the quality bar for shopping at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, gateway to China’s fourth-biggest municipality.

The opening of DFS Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport Boutiques in the domestic Terminal 3A formed a key part of the inauguration of Starry Galleria, the expansive, multi-brand, multi-retailer zone run by Sino-Singapore Chongqing Airport Commercial Management Co, of which the DFS stores are an integral component.

The LVMH/Robert Miller-owned travel retailer’s retail footprint at the Chongqing gateway covers more than 2,000sq m, one of Mainland China’s largest airport shopping spaces.

The Chongqing project represents a seminal development in DFS’s 63-year history – the first concession the travel retailer has won on the Chinese Mainland in a domestic terminal.

Echoing that fact, DFS said the inauguration marks a new beginning and a significant advancement of its ambitions in China.

Click here for the full story.

Saluting excellence in travel dining

A memorable celebration of the best of the airport food & beverage industry unfolded at the Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality Conference and Awards Gala Dinner in Bangkok on 13 September. Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport captured the ultimate Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year accolade – our image depicts the QDF team gathered on stage for a celebratory photograph.

More details at this link.

Sol de Janeiro

Sol de Janeiro, which now contributes to 25.5% of L’OCCITANE Group’s overall sales, has been one of the category’s biggest winners of 2023. The brand’s growth was mirrored by of the year’s most vibrant campaigns. Joyful imagery took the ‘spirit of Rio de Janeiro’ to key airports including Paris, London, Frankfurt, New York and São Paulo.

Click here for the full story.

The Macallan’s dash of colour

Edrington Global Travel Retail partnered with Lotte Duty Free and Changi Airport Group to celebrate The Macallan Colour Collection with an exclusive pop-up showcase in Changi Airport Terminal 3 in September and October.

The vibrant animation immersed travellers into the world of The Colour Collection, The Macallan’s latest travel retail-exclusive range.

The Macallan Colour Collection is made up of five age-statement single malt Scotch whiskies. The range spans all the colours of the whisky spectrum, showcasing the natural hues derived from maturation. It begins with the golden oak-toned 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 18 Year Old and 21 Year Old, all the way to the burnished chestnut of the 30 Year Old.

Click here for the full story.

Lotte Duty Free reaches new heights at Changi Airport

Lotte Duty Free brought a new dimension – and new heights – to its wines & spirits proposition at Changi Airport when it opened a duplex store in Terminal 2 in late September. T2, which had been closed for three-and-a-half years, reopened in phases, culminating in a return to full operations on 1 November. The two-level store offers a beguiling blend of state of the art technology, high-impact digital, a rich cultural component and the opportunity to taste and buy some outstanding spirits on the top floor.

Click here for the full story.

Sunrise’s grand anniversary celebrations

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie was privileged to be the only international media representative present at a stellar celebration of the near quarter-century success and resilience of one of the world’s great travel retailers, Sunrise Duty Free, in September.

Our coverage presented some remarkable memories of an evening that honoured the travel retailer’s success and resilience over a near quarter century.

Click here for the full story.

YSL’s trailblazing beauty launch

Described internally as Yves Saint Laurent’s “most trailblazing launch in years”, YSL MYSLF left its mark on the channel in 2023. L’Oréal Travel Retail’s significant investment in this launch saw the masculine fragrance pop-up in over 135 animations across the Americas and over 400 animations in EMEA travel retail. Supported by activities on ride-sharing platform Uber and travel ratings platform Tripadvisor, this campaign represented an evolution of online to offline campaigns in 2023..

Click here and here for the full story.