FRANCE. French duty-free body Association Française du Commerce du Voyageur (AFCOV) hosted a briefing at TFWA World Exhibition last week, outlining priorities such as pursuing arrivals duty free in France and the EU and strengthening the industry’s voice among political decision makers.
At an event hosted at the Chanel booth, The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt joined AFCOV President and Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Head of Commercial Candice Cadreils; AFCOV Treasurer and Lagardère Travel Retail France CEO & Regional COO, Middle East Vincent Romet; Chanel Area Director EMEA and AFCOV Board member Emmanuel Barc; ETRC Secretary General Julie Lassaigne; JCR Consulting Director John Rimmer; and AFCOV advisor Antoine Clément (Penta) to discuss the association’s key agenda issues.
Cadreils said: “Arrivals duty free is very important for us. We need to have a chance to trial this [channel] and to show what it can do for France and for Europe, when many sales are made overseas. We know that France has an important part to play in this topic and we do our part working with ETRC and others.”
Vincent Romet referred to the emergence and importance of arrivals duty free in other markets, noting that Europe should respond to protect sales in its regional market.
“It is unclear that politicians in Europe make the connection between arrivals duty free in other major markets and the opportunity here. It’s important to look at the impact on the origin market. It’s timely to express and communicate this outside our own industry in an effective way.”
Julie Lassaigne said: “We should bear in mind that rail is also a duty-free opportunity on the EU side, so on this side of the Channel we seek reciprocity for whatever happens in the UK for example.”
She added: “The EU elections put the latest moves on hold but these will be reactivated, meeting the new French Commissioner, members of parliament and others who can influence this process towards introducing arrivals duty free.”
AFCOV has progressively built back its membership post-pandemic to 27 today, noted the board members, with more from across the sector expected to join soon. More work is needed to reinforce the role of travel retail at political level in France, they added.
Cadreils said: “Today the board represents all of the industry, airports, retailers and leading brands. This combination brings us strength. It takes time and resources but we have to find the time to give to the association because if we don’t we won’t raise our profile.
“Travel retail plays a key role in the airport world and helps to finance much of the infrastructure. Brands such as Chanel that are prominent at the airport help the world dream. Each airport is a sample of the world and is the place where you can show all of the brands that count in your country, and in France that is especially important and meaningful.
“Before COVID, many governments didn’t recognise the role of travel retail as opposed to retail but the distinction is important. We need to explain this to decision makers.
“Here in France, we see traffic back above 2019, and spend per passenger is also positive, so in travel retail we are creating value that you don’t always see in domestic. We are transparent, safe, a clean industry – something we have to place in front of governments.”
Romet added that travel retail must become more recognised as a stakeholder in the tourism industry.
“Much is being debated around tourism and its future and travel retail must be represented, including in talks at intergovernmental level. France is a leading tourist destination, a place where people find the highest-quality French products, and we need to shine a light on this opportunity. That is also on our agenda for the year ahead.”
Cadreils added: “We have a duty to support all of the industry, not just one or other category. We are all interconnected.”
On other key topics, Cadreils highlighted data and sustainability as high on the AFCOV agenda.
Through a new task force, AFCOV aims to bring the various strands of the French industry Trinity together under the banner of sustainability in ways that are not competitive but contribute to ensuring the industry shows its commitment, including to the traveller.
Cadreils said: “We cannot work on the future unless we have a plan for sustainability. For airports it has an impact on profitability and we need to be seen to be acting and reaching the goals we set ourselves.” ✈
