HONG KONG, CHINA. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA), in partnership with Women in Travel Retail+ (WiTR+), drew more than 80 members of the travel retail community to its Summer in the City networking event in Hong Kong this week.
The event’s highlight included a fundraiser for the Koma Karanth Foundation, the chosen charity by WiTR+ for 2023. The Foundation’s founder Maitreyi Karanth attended the event and discussed how she started the organisation.
KPMG Head of Consumer and Retail ASPAC Anson Bailey shared his perspectives on the latest travel and travel retail trends. Among the topics he addressed were the increasingly seamless digital connectivity and interaction driving consumer expectations for more immersive retail experiences. He also discussed the need for businesses to commit to authentic social purpose or ESG.
Bailey’s presentation covered the latest developments on Chinese travellers, noting a trend towards more frequent, shorter trips within China and to nearby countries in Asia, with South Korea, Japan and Singapore being the most popular.
While airline capacity and visa delays are still impacting the full Chinese return, Bailey said that this will ease by Q4 2023.
Other notable guests at the networking event included Dufry’s outgoing Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific Pedro Castro, who has moved back to Spain. He made a special tribute to the importance of APTRA’s role in the industry, committing to continue leading Dufry’s support for the association in his new role.
Pernod Ricard generously provided Champagne and cocktails during the event. ✈
