From The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman

Artport of the year – Vancouver International Airport

I am fascinated by the concept of airports as artports and consequently launched a column of the same name a couple of years back. If airports are to represent and showcase the culture and heritage of a city, region or country, art is a good place to start.

Since launching the column, I have been delighted to see so many outstanding art programmes across airports of all sizes and regions.

But one stands out to me above all others: Vancouver International Airport’s art programme embraces Canada’s largest public collection of Northwest Coast art with pride, joy and respect in equal measure.

Focused on First Nations art and anchored by the interrelated themes of land, sea and sky, the programme offers a magnificent encapsulation of community, cultural heritage and place. What an outstandingly comprehensive and authentic statement of sense of place.

Specialist store of the year – Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa (The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines), Humberto Delgado (Lisbon) Airport

A space where, to quote the airport company, “the sardine is queen”, this gloriously technicoloured tapestry of a boutique serves both as a commercial ode to a Portuguese national symbol and an outstanding example of how destination merchandise can reach beyond staid souvenir offerings.

Oh what a reign this revered queen is enjoying, her ‘carriage’ a wonderfully vibrant Ferris wheel, carrying her and her courtiers.

One wall is dedicated to tins adorned with different years going way, way back. I say that with confidence as the array includes my birth year, which just about places the said tins in the realm of ancient history. And unlike me, the sardines inside are not past their sell-by date.

At just €9.50 a tin, they represent a brilliantly original example of destination merchandise. And a great gifting choice, of course. An item that surely belongs on every Christmas fish-list.

Destination merchandise offer of the year within a generic duty-free store – Lisbon Duty Free (ARI)

It’s rare for any anchor duty-free shop’s destination merchandise range and environment to match its host airport’s specialist offering.

But despite Lisbon Airport offering several outstanding standalone boutiques packed with quality local products (including the riotously hued Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa referred to above), ARI’s Lisbon Duty Free takes full advantage of gaining first access to the passenger (thanks to the walkthrough formula) with a diverse medley of regional delights, ranging from Portuguese wines (table and fortified), spirits and liqueurs to chocolate and fine foods.

An authentically top-class line-up, beautifully presented.

Overall Destination Retail Offer – Auckland Airport

Aelia Duty Free does a pretty good job of destination retailing both in its main store (particularly on wine, spirits and honey) and with its All Blacks boutique but the sense, taste and culture of place come to life even more in the standalone stores, of which there are several.

Names such as Kiwi Discovery, Cape to Bluff and Merino Collection offer a diverse range of high-quality goods while the revered New Zealand chocolate brand Whittaker’s surely ranks as one of the airport world’s best-performing wall units in terms of unit sales per square metre.

Interestingly, Auckland Airport’s ‘Gifts of New Zealand’ RFP is scheduled for release in mid-2026, marking the next phase in the gateway’s retail evolution.

“This upcoming opportunity will continue our commitment to curating a retail experience that celebrates the essence of New Zealand, its creativity, craftsmanship and cultural richness,” Auckland Airport said. Bidders be warned, the bar has already been set high.

Specialist hybrid concept of the Year – Bacha Coffee, Changi Airport

Every time I visit a Bacha store at the wonderful Singapore gateway, I am enchanted, awed and inspired by the experience.

This is coffee nirvana, featuring a heady range of brews from just about every coffee-producing nation on the planet.

From the carefully curated choice of in-store music (everything from classic to jazz to blues) to the exquisite coffee packaging; from croissants that will take you to culinary heaven and back; to the charming white coat, white glove service, everything is touch perfect.

Oh, and all that glorious orange. As I once opined in my Blog, if Hermès was a coffee brand it would be Bacha. And if there was a croissant heaven, I promise you a Bacha raspberry and cinnamon croissant would be served at the gates.

F&B Outlet of the Year – Mitti Café, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru

I’ve told the Mitti Café story several times over the recent past but each time I visit one of the units I am inspired to both repeat and embellish it.

On page 8, we name Mitti Café Founder & CEO Alina Alam as one of our People of the Year for the second year running, a rare but deserved accolade for this astonishingly determined and capable young woman.

Mitti Café is dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities by providing opportunities for economic independence and dignity. In fact, forget the term ‘disability’. Mitti Café’s mantra is ‘the magic of abilities’, and every time I visit one of the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru outlets, I see those abilities.

I see them in the warmth of the greetings; the instant, never fading smiles; the speed and professionalism of service; the team camaraderie; and, oh, the best Masala Chai in town. If every airport had the equivalent of a Mitti Café, our industry – and our world – would be a better place.

Best Surprise F&B Experience of the Year – Alembic, Bristol Airport, UK

Not tempted by the prospect of eating from Ryanair’s (admittedly decent) buy onboard selection in a squeezed middle seat, I looked around the extensive Bristol Airport food & beverage line-up before the flight my wife and I were taking to Alicante in October.

There was plenty of choice, from Burger King to Brig & Stow Bar & Kitchen, Soho Coffee Co to Wine. Beer. Food and others. But we opted for the comparative serenity and panoramic airfield views offered by Alembic alongside an interesting menu featuring small plates (the food, not the crockery), sharing platters and bar bites.

A splendid dish of sea salt-caked Padron Peppers accompanied by succulent Spanish meatballs (doused in a delicious paprika, tomato and basil sauce), washed down respectively with a chilled pint of Estrella and a fresh and crisp Spy Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and any thought of ham & cheese toasties on Ryanair had disappeared.

All this was complemented by charming and courteous service from the delightful Jeya and we left Alembic with me telling my wife “I told you so” about the ever-improving state of airport dining, a mantra I have been preaching since I found the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards in 2011.

Positive Disrupter of the Year – Qatar Airways Chief Retail and Hospitality Office Thabet Musleh

Yes, I know we have already named the Qatar Airways Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer among our People of the Year (see page 8) but I feel a need to embellish other qualities barely touched on in that accolade.

My views are borne of my own experience as an underdog when I launched The Moodie Report in September 2002.

We were the newcomer, with no print title, just a plain-looking pdf dispatched by email. Who read digital anyway? So I set about making sure people did read it. Via top-quality content; rapid fulfilment (after all, email and the internet was always going to beat the postman); great partnerships; (over time) the best people; the sharpest tech; and a willingness to constantly try things. And boy did we disrupt the market, going from number five in a crowded marketplace to number one in three years.

Recognise those traits (multiplied several times) in someone else? Thabet Musleh has a similar maverick spirit, always eager to launch new projects (in fact, refusing not to); obsessed with being first, different and as often as possible exclusive.

When he first assumed the Head of Qatar Duty Free role in January 2018, the title was prefaced by the hedging bet of ‘Acting’.

In the form of Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, Musleh had to prove himself to the toughest of bosses.

If he was the underdog internally, so was Qatar Duty Free regionally. Yes, Hamad International Airport was architecturally impressive but by common consent its retail planning was a bizarre mishmash. Something had to change. And boy has it.

Rather than being bowed by the pressure cauldron, Musleh embraced it. Any risk taker will also make mistakes along the way but he also took them in his stride and, anyway, they have been comfortably outnumbered by some glorious success stories.

The Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno; the Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat; the incredible luxury boulevards looking out over the giant tropical forest, Orchard. The multiple airport firsts. And more.

Nor it is all about luxury; Musleh has been insistent on providing an offer for all passengers, from sub-continent bound blue-collar workers (Duty Free Big Value, for example, is an admirable store concept developed by Qatar Duty Free specifically for value-orientated and budget-conscious travellers) to captains of industry.

As he grew in confidence so did the success stories mount: the gloriously authentic Souq Al Matar; Ralph’s Coffee; Fendi Bar; Emporio Armani Caffé; Lancôme Café De La Rose; a pioneering partnership with hugely popular global character collectibles retailer Pop Mart – the list goes on.

Underdog no longer, maverick still. And my positive disrupter of the year.

Shock Story of the Year – CDFG and Avolta split the Shanghai Pudong & Hongqiao duty-free awards

OK, hands up anyone who even remotely thought the duty-free tender for Shanghai’s twin gateways might be won by China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and Avolta, with incumbent Sunrise Duty Free (Shanghai) Co (51% controlled by CDFG) not even in the race.

I am prepared to wager that even global travel retail powerhouse Avolta was surprised (albeit pleasantly) by the result.

This is the kind of story that requires immense sensitivity and patience to handle and to eventually break. After an unsourced report in the Chinese media suggested Sunrise was being prevented from bidding by 51% owner CDFG, we did what any responsible media title must do. Not simply regurgitate the report but speak directly to both parties to get to the bottom of a complex and delicate situation.

Trying to report such a situation, involving claim and counterclaim, is the journalistic equivalent of walking a tightrope with no safety net. To come out of it with both relationships intact and to break the ultimate story, underlined the correctness of our approach and why we are so often trusted with exclusive stories.

PR Company of the year: WePurple

Proactive, professional and perceptive. With thriving offices in Cape Town, Jeddah (from recently), London, Mexico City, Paris and Singapore, the agency is a role-model in terms of the quality of their press releases, their proactiveness with clients and media, and their understanding of what makes different media tick. One size does not fit all titles – and certainly does not fit us.

My choice is also heavily influenced by WePurple having recently achieved B Corp Certification, following a three-year operational review across its international bases.

The travel retail specialist joins many businesses in our channel working towards an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. The certification also underlines WePurple’s focus on supporting brands and retailers navigating the complexities of the global consumer landscape.

Honorary mentions to for Smarts (which serves Diageo Global Travel expertly among other clients), and the Rowena Holland-led (and now Bluedog Group-backed) Essential Communications. Rowena has been an admirable servant of our industry for a long time (she may not like being reminded that she worked with me at Duty-Free News International in the late 1980s) and fully deserves the success she has enjoyed.

Best Media Rival of the Year – Global TR Magazine

A tough one as there is just SO much imitation of what we do in travel retail media land, something I have grown relaxed about in the autumn of my career but which used to rile me endlessly. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Frankly, I see nothing sincere about it at all. One rival claims on its home page to be ‘the leading provider of duty-free & travel retail news’, when in both volume and quality it is nothing of the sort. If you start with an untruth, you really have no place to go next.

But I digress. Global TR Magazine Editor and Co-Owner Hibah Noor has an outstanding work ethic, is fast on the draw to borrow from cowboy parlance and is an excellent ambassador for the title to boot. Her and the title’s output is impressively prolific, especially given the leanness of the editorial team.

An honorary mention, too, for Travel Markets Insider, where the admirable Lois Pasternak (a personal heroine of mine) has kept putting out a timely, localised and quality product despite her ongoing battle with cancer. Together with her son Michael, they are maintaining the fine journalistic tradition that their late husband and father Paul so nobly represented.

And a shout-out too for Peter Marshall at TRunblocked, who at least is doing something different and whose brand-led films , though by definition frequently advertorial in nature, are often also both challenging and stimulating.

My Proudest Moments of the Year Awards – x 2

The first of my dual awards goes unashamedly to the women members of The Moodie Davitt Report team for their magnificent embracing of International Women’s Day on 8 March.

The Moodie Davitt Report women were simply supercharged in their efforts to underline the occasion’s importance.

Not only was our homepage splendidly awash with stories by women about women but each of our team committed to participating in and/or supporting a women-related event or cause. They did this, for example, by donating to charity organisations, supporting International Women’s Day events and participating in local community gatherings that champion gender equality.

Just as importantly, the Moodie Davitt women pushed each and every male member of the team to do likewise.

The second standout moment came when Qatar Airways opted to show our acclaimed three-part ‘Airport Wonders of the World’ series (dedicated to Hamad International Airport and Qatar Duty Free) on its inflight entertainment system from August onwards.

My TRI-POD Episodes of the Year Award

We’re very proud of TRI-POD, The Moodie Davitt Report’s video podcast in association with SEVA Group, hosted by me and Dubai-based SEVA Group Managing Director Roger Jackson. I’ve picked out three really great episodes (click below for full versions) featuring two extraordinary women entrepreneurs and one of the finest corporate executives you could hope to meet.

1. Nerissa Polke, a dynamic Singapore-based businesswoman and founder of organic beauty brand Liht Organics, which made its travel retail debut at TFWA Asia Pacific 2025 in Singapore. Liht is an acronym for ‘Living in Her Time’. The brand was born out of Nerissa’s personal battle with adult acne and her related desire to eliminate harsh chemicals from everyday cosmetics.
2. Erika Doyle, the Dubai-based Founder & CEO of Drink Dry, a company, specialised in premium 0.0% beverages, which has grown to be an outstanding success in a few short years. It is an enthralling narrative, detailing a remarkable life journey from her native Lithuania to the UK and ultimately to Dubai, all while meeting and marrying a renowned figure in the travel retail community.
3. Charles Roullet, Director EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Global Travel Retail for Campari Group. In this compelling and warm episode, Charles talks openly and insightfully about a career journey that has included senior roles with multi-nationals Colgate-Palmolive, Danone and L’Oréal before joining Campari.