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Sunil Tuli: progress on key issues |
ASIA PACIFIC. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is stepping up its membership recruitment drive, and called on companies across the region to help it tackle key industry issues, from LAGs to tobacco. APTRA is also set to play a major role at key forthcoming events such as TFWA Asia Pacific and the ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum.
At its board meeting in Singapore in February, APTRA said it agreed to intensify efforts to recruit new members, “in the belief that the more representative the association, the more influence it will have in international affairs”.
APTRA President Sunil Tuli said: “Working together the members of APTRA are beginning to make progress on several key issues – notably the LAGs issue.
“If we are to protect the duty free and travel retail industry in Asia and the Pacific region and develop it to its full – and impressive – potential, it is vital that we present a united front which is representative of the entire industry, and is informed, committed and persuasive. The more retailers, operators, landlords and suppliers we represent, the greater will be our influence. We invite all stakeholders in the region to join our ranks.”
During TFWA Asia Pacific & the Gate One2One Conference in Singapore, APTRA will host a reception for members and prospective members to promote the benefits of APTRA membership. This takes place after the association’s annual general meeting in the Suntec Centre at 4pm on Wednesday 13 May.
APTRA is also organising, in association with TFWA, an influential workshop during the Conference on Monday 11 May. At the session, called “˜The Power of Knowledge – understanding everything there is to know about tomorrow’s travellers’, Sunil Tuli will set the scene and introduce the speakers.
Tuli will contribute to the plenary Conference session in a group discussion on strategies to develop duty free and travel retail business in these challenging economic times.
APTRA has also endorsed and will take part in the ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum, to be held in Macau from 23-25 September. The event is organised by Airports Council International and The Moodie Report.
On the LAGs (Liquids, Aerosols and Gels) issue, APTRA said it has “backed efforts by retailers in the region to bring their security controls on the sale of alcohol, perfumes and cosmetics to a level which will be acceptable to the EU, to ensure that purchases are not confiscated in transit [when customers travel through an EU airport with LAGs purchases from outside the EU -Ed].”
EU inspectors have visited several airports in Australia to check security facilities and will re-inspect within two months. In May EU inspectors are also due to inspect several of the 17 Indian airports proposed for approval by the EU, including Mumbai and Delhi.
On the tobacco issue, APTRA plans to email all industry stakeholders in the Asia Pacific region, advising them of the action that needs to be taken locally to protect duty free sales of tobacco – where this is threatened – and is urging members to write to the relevant government officials for their country.
APTRA can be contacted at email: aptra_sg@yahoo.com.sg
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