INTERNATIONAL. Foreign exchange company Travelex is introducing more than 75 bureaux, kiosks and ATMs at airports, cruise terminals and railway stations across Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the Middle East.
Travelex has added ATMs across Berlin Brandenburg, Frankfurt and Zurich airports, as well as more than a dozen across the Netherlands’ national railway network.
Travelex celebrated its 30th anniversary in Germany this year (its first German store opened in Frankfurt in 1993) and announced a contract extension for its bureaux at Hamburg Airport. The company also extended the contract for its tax refund business in the Netherlands.
In the UK, Travelex has launched two firsts: a UK railway station bureau at London Paddington, and an automated, self-service forex kiosk at Heathrow Airport.
Travelex has opened a store at Edinburgh Airport, and undertaken an extensive bureaux refresh across part of its UK estate. The company has also unveiled three-metre LED walls at Heathrow Airport Terminals 3 and 5.
In recent months Travelex has undertaken several investments across the Middle East. In the UAE, it launched a series of bureaux and On-The-Move kiosks across airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as well as the Mina Rashid seaport. This is in addition to the refurbishment and expansion of existing Travelex stores at Sharjah International Airport.
Travelex is in the process of launching a dozen ATMs across the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, Dubai International Airport and the new Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal A.
In terms of its retail footprint expansion in the Middle East, Oman saw the launch of a Travelex pre-immigration store at Muscat International Airport in October. The new store comes as Travelex celebrated its 20th anniversary in Oman this year.
In the UAE, Travelex has opened a flagship landside Arrivals store in Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. Seven Travelex stores and eight ATMs were unveiled to coincide with the inauguration of Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal A.
In Asia, two stores have been added at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2, taking the total number of retail stores in Malaysia to ten. Two more stores are set to be launched at Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 1 in the coming months.
Travelex has introduced its prepaid foreign currency card, the Travelex Money Card, to Japan – at the same time celebrating its 20th anniversary in the country.
The company has opened six stores in Australia and three in New Zealand. It has also partnered with Bank of New Zealand to offer 1.2 million customers access to discounted travel money.
In Brazil, Travelex has continued to invest and expand operations with the launch of seven stores nationwide; including in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The foreign exchange company now operates more than 125 stores across the country, with further openings planned for coming months.
The bureaux openings follow Travelex’s recent announcement of a £90 million (US$113.4 million) refinancing package. With international travel now at 93.1% of pre-COVID levels, and demand for travel – particularly among emerging markets – continuing to accelerate, Travelex is working to further expand its retail offering, develop wholesale relationships and increase investment across digital transformation and product innovation.
Travelex CEO Richard Wazacz said: “Customer convenience is at the heart of everything Travelex stands for, and so we’re thrilled to be investing in the growth of our retail store operations. “This investment along with the recent news of our £90 million (US$113.4 million) refinancing is a clear statement that both travel, and Travelex, are on the rise once again.” ✈
