A landmark terminal opening in Bahrain: The new Passenger Terminal Building at Bahrain International Airport opened on 28 January 2021, featuring a powerful array of commercial and consumer services in an eye-catching environment. The new terminal is one of the most ambitious aviation projects of recent years in the Middle East. We featured comprehensive coverage of the opening, and of Bahrain Duty Free’s high-class array of stores.

Martell’s Hainan milestone: In a landmark project for its flagship Cognac brand, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail opened a debut Maison Martell travel retail boutique at China Duty Free Group’s (CDFG) Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex on 28 January. The boutique introduced new, innovative technology and invited duty free shoppers to engage with the world of Maison Martell through its latest in-store programmes. These include a one-of-a-kind digital boutique façade and pioneering touchless technology. Click on the video for highlights of a memorable opening.

A travel retail wonderland takes shape: Development of the Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex – anchored by what will be the world’s biggest duty free retail complex – is on target to open on 28 October 2022. The extraordinary project, located at Xinhai Port, Haikou, occupies a plot of more than 675 acres, with actual construction spread across 485 acres. The site will feature some 930,000sq m of tax and duty free shopping space run by China Duty Free Group, spectacular leisure and entertainment facilities, offices and a high-end hotel. Our video shows progress from 2021, just over a year out from project completion.

#Changedestiny: Taking on the social pressures impacting women: In March prestige skincare brand SK-II announced the groundbreaking launch of ‘SK-II Studio’ – the brand’s first film studio division and content hub. The concept was inspired by SK-II’s purpose #CHANGEDESTINY and was dedicated to tackling social pressures affecting women today through the power of film and storytelling. The debut film, also released in March, was ‘The Center Lane’ (see video), which embraced the strength of the human spirit in rising above adversity during unprecedented times. It tells the destiny-changing story of Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee’s return to competitive sport after being diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019.

‘The World in a Day’: In May 2021 DFS Group revealed the second phase of its groundbreaking experiential store within the Times DF x DFS Haikou Mission Hills Duty-Free Complex on Hainan island, a partnership with Shenhzen Duty Free. More on the concept can be found here.

Manchester Airport’s transformed Terminal 2: “This is a proud milestone for our airport as we begin to emerge from the restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 crisis, and an important moment in our 83-year history.” Manchester Airport Managing Director Karen Smart hailed the opening of the new Terminal 2 on 14 July 2021, the centrepiece of Manchester Airport Group’s £1 billion Transformation Programme, which was first announced in 2015. It was scheduled to open in Summer 2020, but was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.