CHINA. Times DF, the Shenzhen Duty Free Group-owned travel retailer in Haikou, Hainan province, is celebrating the success of The Times DF-Johnnie Walker Cup International Business Summit China-Korea Golf Invitational, which concluded on 9 December.
This was the travel retailer’s fifth such tournament hosted in partnership with a brand.
Like its predecessors it was designed to promote the concept of ‘duty free + sports tourism’ while bolstering multilateral cooperation through a combination of brand influence and sports tourism culture, boosting offshore duty free shopping.
The tournament, sponsored by Diageo-owned Johnnie Walker, was jointly hosted by Times DF and China (Hainan) International Golf Tourism Culture Expo (HGE). It was co-organised by Haikou Tiger Tourism Service Co and Haikou Mission Hills Golf Club.
Guests from the Hainan Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Hainan International Chamber of Commerce, the Hainan Golf Association, the Korean delegation, and the National Business Alliance attended the event.
This was the first time HGE has co-hosted the tournament, part of its ‘fostering friendship and cooperation through golfing” mission.
The organisation is dedicated to promoting the development of Hainan’s golf tourism industry as well as trade and investment cooperation with other countries and regions.
Times DF said HGE’s participation has injected new energy into the event, strengthening the role of golf invitational tournaments within Hainan’s wider sports tourism sector. The collaboration also boosted the integration of duty free shopping at Times DF in Mission Hills with other activities, the retailer said.
Diageo enjoys great prominence in Hainan’s offshore duty free market, led by Johnnie Walker and bolstered by its powerful single malt whiskey portfolio, including The Singleton and Talisker.
The company opened an experiential Johnnie Walker boutique within Shenzhen Duty Free Haikou Mission Hills Duty Free City’s ‘Premium Wines and Spirits Gallery’ in late October 2021.
Diageo said its first-time participation in the golf tournament reflected a commitment to local development.
The Mission Hills boutique is the group’s first interactive bar store worldwide to utilise holography. During the event, guests were invited to explore the store’s immersive shopping experience.
Events like this help to continually strengthen brand-consumer interaction and further improve Hainan’s high-end consumption, Shenzhen Duty Free said.
During the event, Times DF and Johnnie Walker partnered in a series of promotional campaigns, including points promotions, limited-time discounts, free gifts, and VIP privileges, as well as providing prizes for the tournament.
Guests were wined and dined and had a chance to learn more about the brand and taste its latest offerings.
Shenzhen Duty Free said high-end retail has become an “indispensable” element of Hainan’s deepening reform and opening up and the island’s Free Trade Port constructions.
Times DF said it plans to further the integration of duty free with other industries by continuing to host golf invitationals with other brands. This will stimulate high-end consumption and promote Haikou as an international sports tourism destination and consumption centre, the company added. ✈
