Airports Council International (ACI) World and the Duty Free World Council (DFWC) propose a continued relaxation of duty free limits as on-arrival duty and tax-free shopping are essential to industry recovery.
Restoring an economic balance is vital, per the ACI’s Policy Brief – Path to the airport industry recovery.
The analysis outlines how the organizations assert duty free and travel retail Impact the success and growth of airports worldwide – with up to 44 percent of airport revenues coming from non-aeronautical sources and retail concessions contributing 30 percent of the number.
“The airport community generates about 60 percent of the industry jobs,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said.
“Airports recognize the importance of commercial activities as job generators, such as retail and duty free, and sources to diversify their revenue streams beyond aeronautical sources, but stimulating commerce at airports goes beyond the industry bottom line in the current crisis.”
de Oliveira said ensuring the traveling public has greater choice and convenience in their purchases goes hand in hand with rebuilding passenger confidence.
“Most importantly, changes to tax-free shopping also represent a needed lifeline for the millions of jobs in the travel retail space and broader aviation ecosystem, industries which have been most affected by the lockdown and subsequent downturn,” he said.
DFWC President Sarah Branquinho said the Duty Free World Council has engaged with policymakers and regulators across the globe to emphasize the industry’s importance to tourism, aviation, and maritime business models.