CAMBODIA. A landmark symbol of Cambodia’s aviation and tourism ambitions, Techo International Airport was officially inaugurated today (20 October) by senior government officials, airport company stakeholders and business partners.
Cambodia’s largest aviation infrastructure project and one of the world’s biggest airports by land area, it serves the capital Phnom Penh, with capacity for 13 million passengers a year in its first phase – rising to 30 million in later phases.
Among the key partners is Lagardère Travel Retail, in partnership with HSC Group, which last year signed a 12-year contract with Cambodia Airport Investment Company (CAIC) to manage retail and dining operations.
Lagardère Travel Retail CEO Frédéric Chevalier said: “This inauguration marks a key milestone in Lagardère Travel Retail’s journey in Asia. Beyond the scale and ambition of Techo International Airport, this project demonstrates our ability to rise to the challenge to deliver comprehensive, multi-line operations, working hand in hand with local partners.
“Our presence here reflects our confidence in the long-term potential of Cambodia and Southeast Asia. It is also a tangible expression of our strategy to combine global expertise with local relevance — creating value for landlords, brands and travellers alike.”
CAIC Chairman Pung Kheav Se said: “By welcoming Lagardère Travel Retail to Techo International Airport, we are combining French expertise and savoir-faire to enhance the airport retail experience and provide passengers with a welcoming service that reflects Cambodian hospitality.”
The opening marks a milestone in Lagardère Travel Retail’s Asia expansion strategy. It is the first time the company will operate all three business lines in a greenfield airport.
The contract also seals Lagardère Travel Retail’s inaugural direct operation in Asia duty-free.
The company manages duty free & fashion, foodservice and travel essentials, leveraging the downtown expertise of its local partner HSC in these business areas.
The line-up includes Aelia Duty Free in departures and arrivals, plus in-house brands Relay and Discover, among others, alongside a first Marché outlet in Cambodia in food & beverage.
Lagardère Travel Retail Cambodia CEO Stefan Picard, speaking exclusively to The Moodie Davitt Report on the eve of the opening, salutes the completion of phase one of the airport project.
“For Cambodia, this is a proud moment. It is a sign of the country’s emergence in Southeast Asia, one that had the whole nation excited in the run-up to the 9 September start of operations and to this inauguration day.
“The opening brings new possibilities to capitalise on the many tourism assets that Cambodian already has from Angkor Wat’s temples to the beaches and other natural features to its welcoming people.
“For Lagardère Travel Retail, it’s a major development in this region. We are opening across business lines in a new airport. Plus we see this as a window to show what we can do as we seek to develop further.”
Flexibility and adaptability will be key, says Picard, as passenger traffic grows sharply in the country. Cambodia’s three international airports served over six million passengers in 2024, a double-digit leap year-on-year, underlining the increasing tourism appeal of the market.
Picard says, “We know that traffic will grow, and we need to be ready to manage new profiles and ensure that commercial activities are optimised.
“We will be realistic and patient. It will take a lot of work, adjustments and space optimisation for the business to reach its full potential. We can already see some areas around passenger flow and how we position certain categories where we may need to make changes, and these are things you only see once the terminal opens.
“We will be highly adaptable to the needs of key nationalities such as the Chinese, who seek out global brands and niche products.”
Currently, Chinese visitors represent around 30% of traffic and over 50% of retail sales, with locals spending strongly in arrivals and other overseas guests from Europe, Australasia and the Americas also contributing.
One factor holding back the spending potential of many western visitors is the lack of direct flights to Phnom Penh, with a lot of people flying through other hubs in Southeast Asia, purchasing duty free on their final leg home. This should change in time as the direct route network to and from Techo Airport builds. Encouragingly, a new route to Abu Dhabi opened recently, with Istanbul to follow soon, alongside two Japanese routes that will expand the traveller base.
To the offer, and the travel retailer’s portfolio spans 3,142sq m of retail and dining space, and 3,629sq m including travel essentials. The central headhouse zone is home to 11 outlets, with six more across the boarding piers airside.
Core-category duty-free features eight stores in airside departures plus an arrivals shop. Complementing these is a strong multi-brand fashion & accessories offer under the company’s ‘The Gallery In’ and ‘Eye Love’ concepts – with an APM Monaco fashion jewellery corner added to resonate with the Chinese shopper.
The multiple duty-free stores in departures contrast with just one at the old airport, and today they include two large units dedicated to fragrances & cosmetics and two more to liquor, tobacco, confectionery and souvenirs as travellers enter the airside arena, with luxury and last-minute stores later in the journey.
In dining, the Marché food hall noted above features a range of stations that offer Asian and Western cuisine.
Picard says: “It is innovative in the sense that you can go around the stations and you pay at the end for what you eat. You have the cooks interacting with the guests so we have had to accelerate the kitchen teams’ English language skills. But it’s a nice addition and something new for the country.”
He adds: “We can also be more flexible with this as an in-house offer, updating the menus at each island depending on customer tastes. For example, in recognition of the popularity of soups at breakfast time in Cambodia we are launching this element in the menu now.”
The store designs chime with the vision of British architects Foster & Partners for the whole airport, with retail and dining spaces blending neatly with the Khmer-inspired building architecture, including bamboo-patterned domes that evoke traditional weaving.
“The design and execution, supported by our global teams, is a tribute to the Cambodian culture and identity that we are proud to respect and enhance,” says Picard.
On the role of sense of place, he notes that this infuses not only the stores’ looks but also the assortment within them.
“We use traditional patterns and material that highlight local craftsmanship in the designs. This is mirrored in our offer, with dedicated spaces within the duty-free shops for local producers, alongside the international brands. Cambodia has many well-known up and coming brands from spirits to skincare to delicatessen that have premium packaging and that we are proud to highlight. Our Relay and Discover stores also champion locally made products as we stretch the visibility of Cambodian goods.”
Among the showcased products that highlight the best of Cambodia are Bodia, Senteurs d’Angkor, Kambio Nature and Seekers Spirits, while food is also prominent, with Kampot pepper and other Cambodian delicacies to the fore.
Summing up the new commercial offer presented by Lagardère Travel Retail and its partner, Picard says: “This is a step change in terms of scale and size at Cambodian airports, and it has been conceived to offer the most modern features that smooth the traveller journey.”
With Techo International Airport now a striking new symbol of Cambodia’s aviation ambitions, the outlook is an exciting one, Picard adds.
“With the airport company, the local authorities and the brands, we need to be patient and work together to ensure that all the pieces are in place for durable and long-term success.
“Cambodia has huge potential, it has all of the tourism assets and the building blocks are in place for the country to accelerate its development in line with its neighbours.
“For the brands in particular, this is a country to follow as visitor numbers will increase sharply month by month, year by year, and that presents opportunity.
“At the new airport with its wonderful design and the quality of offer, including ours, it showcases Phnom Penh and Cambodia even more as a key destination in the region.” ✈
