ASIA PACIFIC. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is to host a North Asia Forum on 12 November in Hong Kong.
The event will bring together industry representatives for a one-day programme featuring insights into key regional markets, particularly with relation to Chinese and Korean travellers. It will also include wider Asia Pacific market updates and a networking dinner. Additional details will be released next month.
The forum supercedes what was planned to be APTRA’s inaugural Northeast Asia Forum, slated to be held in Hong Kong on 3-5 December 2025. That event was postponed in response to industry concerns over year-end pressures, holidays and travel budget restrictions.
APTRA also announced the promotion of Anne Kavanagh to Managing Director. She been Executive Director since April 2022 and earlier served as Head of Marketing & Communications from November 2019.
Kavanagh also runs her own travel retail agency, Kavanagh Communications.
APTRA President Sunil Tuli said, “Anne’s promotion is deserved recognition of her exceptional leadership and expanded remit across APTRA’s operations.
“Since joining APTRA in 2022 she has played a pivotal role in driving a transformational shift in the association’s support for the industry.
“This includes the ideation and delivery of the APTRA India Conference series, launched in 2024, which was quickly established as a must-attend event focused on travel retail’s fastest-growing market.
“Notably, Anne has consistently elevated the standards of our networking and advocacy work and strengthened APTRA’s reputation across the sector. We are delighted to appoint her as Managing Director.”
The association reported strong engagement at last week’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition, with a networking lunch on 10 May attended by 170 industry colleagues.
At its Annual General Meeting on 13 May, APTRA updated members on its regional advocacy strategy and regulatory issues across 16 key markets over the past year. ✈
