Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
CHINA. Today’s images are courtesy of Hainan Development Holdings’ Global Premium Duty Free (GDF) Plaza, which has revealed an array of promotional activities and large-scale events to celebrate its fourth anniversary and the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Under the theme ‘Fortune Snake Brings Blessings: Prosperity in the Year of Four’, the festivities promise an engaging mix of cultural, retail and entertainment offerings, reinforcing the travel retailer’s reputation as a leader in innovative consumer experiences.
The celebrations build on a successful 2024 for the company, driven by creative strategies and new consumer experiences. The company said it attracted approximately 2 million visitors in 2024, a +34% year-on-year increase, highlighting strong market appeal and growing consumer confidence.
The Chinese New Year shopping season marks the launch of this year’s first offshore duty-free thematic IP. Key highlights include partnerships with Hunan TV’s New Year Gala, GDF Plaza’s four-year anniversary celebrations and the GDF Lunar New Year Market, offering exclusive deals and catering to younger, trend-focused shoppers.
Adding to the festive spirit, the travel retailer is celebrating its anniversary with large-scale events starting 17 January. These include the GDF Themed Bus Tour, the Cultural Fire Pot Show and giveaways of over 40,000 exclusive gifts for members.
Additional activities include a scratch-and-win lottery and a Lucky Koi grand prize draw.
A GDF Plaza spokesperson said: “As the Year of the Snake begins, we will continue to deepen our collaboration with local life platforms such as Douyin and Meituan, strengthen new business development with airlines and travel agencies, expand and strengthen our live-streaming teams and generate new momentum for emerging sectors.
“We will start 2025 with determination, while continuously creating new consumer experiences and cross-industry collaboration opportunities. Our goal is to provide consumers with more high-quality products and services and make greater contributions to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the development of the tourism and consumer industries.” 🏝️
