Diageo Global Travel is introducing a new category growth framework designed to increase participation, conversion and category spend by embedding spirits more firmly across the traveller journey.
Dubbed ‘Destination Growth’, the strategy is built around three pillars: Elevating Moments, Encouraging Discovery and Easy Social. The strategy was designed to help retailers, airports, cruiselines and airlines attract a broader range of adult consumers to the category.
According to the company, the framework responds to changing traveller behaviour, tastes and purchasing occasions. It supports Diageo’s focus on building relevant brands within competitive category strategies and strengthening customer partnerships.
Currently, 11% of passengers visit an alcohol duty-free fixture (m1nd-set, Airport Departures, 2025), underlining what Diageo sees as headroom for increased penetration, the company said.
Destination Growth looks beyond traditional retail and considers engagement opportunities before, during and after the store visit at the airport.
Among the areas highlighted are scalable personalisation, year-round gifting, cultural and seasonal collaborations, and enhanced product discovery.
Three routes to growth
Elevating Moments positions spirits as a natural choice for gifting, celebration and self-treat. Diageo will showcase this approach through The Gifting Concierge, a multi-brand concept which will sit at the front of store and encourage footfall around a range of gifting occasions.
Encouraging Discovery capitalises on travellers’ appetite for new products and experiences. Diageo research via m1nd-set indicates that 55% of duty-free alcohol buyers purchase a product for the first time. The company sees travel retail-exclusive (TREX) and distinctive products, supported by immersive and educational environments, as important recruitment tools.
Easy Social addresses convenience and relevance making purchasing simpler for travellers. This is due to Diageo’s insights that reluctance to carry additional items is the second-biggest barrier to alcohol purchases in duty free.
Diageo Global Travel Managing Director Andrew Cowan said: “Travel retail remains one of the most exciting opportunities for spirits. But we need to think boldly to ensure the category remains a vibrant and value-creating part of travel retail. We need to make spirits duty-free an unmissable part of the journey.
“Travellers are changing how they move through airports, how they discover brands and what they expect from retail experiences. Destination Growth is our vision for how we respond together, taking a broader category view to serve more travellers across more occasions. It is about making spirits the destination, by creating more reasons to stop, explore and buy throughout the traveller journey.”
He added: “No single business can unlock that opportunity alone. By working together with our partners, we believe we can build a more engaging spirits category that delivers stronger experiences for travellers and sustainable growth for our sector.”
Diageo Global Travel will formally unveil Destination Growth at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, where it returns to the Majestic Beach Village. ✈
