From October 1 to 5, the TFWA (Tax Free World Exhibition) was held in Cannes, the meeting place for all professionals in the duty-free sector. This year’s 2023 edition saw some very satisfactory figures.
With the International Air Traffic Association reporting a 50% increase in international traffic in August 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, luxury goods are looking to capitalize on this tourism rebound. This was the main focus of the 2023 edition of the Tax Free World Exhibition.
At the beginning of October, decision-makers from the global franchising and travel retail industry gathered in Cannes. Reserved exclusively for professionals, the event provided an opportunity to share ideas, develop business and network. Visitors could discover the stands of each brand or attend conferences and workshops. Exhibitors covered every product category sold in an airport concourse: watches, clothing, food, spirits and cosmetics.
Some very positive results
The TFWA 2023 attracted a total of 7385 visitors – up 23% on the 6017 visitors to the 2022 edition. And almost back to the pre-covid attendance level of 2019 (7531 visitors). In the key sector of buyers and exhibitors, the 2023 event set a new attendance record of 2761 delegates, a significant increase of over 15% on 2019.
Over 1,700 delegates attended the TFWA conference, held on October 2. The Airport Forum and Duty Free: Trusted, Transparent, Secure workshops were attended by 177 and 125 delegates respectively.
© Nathalie Oundijan