APTRA TO IMPROVE SERVICE TO AIRPORTS IN ASIA PACIFIC

The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is to step up its service to airports in the Asia Pacific region by launching a series of Airport Forums and a dedicated online Resource Centre.

The Airport Forums, which will be timed to coincide with existing industry events, will give airport executives the chance to gain insights to current trends and regulatory issues, and to exchange ideas with their counterparts running airports across the region.

The Resource Centre will be an airport access-only section of the APTRA website that contains brand and retailer data, marketing activities, retail executions and research reports which will help landlords to benchmark and improve the way they operate travel retail in their airport.

Speaking today at the TFWA China’s Century Conference in Guangzhou, Jaya Singh, President APTRA said: “Although some airports belong to a national or regional group which provides them with benchmarks, many operate in isolation, without comparative data, oblivious to impending policy changes which will impact their businesses.

“We believe that airport management teams will benefit from a forum where they can congregate and exchange ideas freely, without the distraction of brands and retailers, and a dedicated bank of airport-specific information.”

The first APTRA Airports Forum, kindly hosted by Changi Airport Group, will be on the afternoon of Sunday 7 May, just before the opening of the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference.

The APTRA Airports Resource Centre is due to go live later this year and, in time, APTRA intends to supplement the information available with airport-specific research reports.

Singh concludes: “We intend to improve radically the service which APTRA offers to its airport colleaguess. We value enormously the input of these ‘honorary ambassadors’ when we are preparing a defence of our industry, as their testimony is authoritative and highly respected by the regulatory authorities.”

For further information about the work of APTRA please consult www.aptra.asia or contact info@aptra.asia

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About APTRA

APTRA is the trade association for the duty free and travel retail industry in the Asia Pacific region, serving all members and the industry to help grow the business and protect it when challenges arise.

• Through technology-led initiatives, seminars and conferences, APTRA serves to facilitate contact between members;
• Through bespoke training initiatives, APTRA is building the industry’s brand as a highly professional, caring and responsible retail channel;
• Through intensive consumer and market research, APTRA provides a solid knowledge bank, bringing valuable, actionable data relevant to all sectors;
• Through regular communication, APTRA seeks to spread awareness and knowledge about the industry and the importance of travel retail for governments, airports, airlines and related businesses;
• Through regional monitoring, and in collaboration with member companies and trade associations in other parts of the world, APTRA is constantly on the alert for new challenges where its advocacy on behalf of the industry is needed with national governments and policy-makers in order to safeguard and grow the business of all concerned.

The geographical area covered by APTRA includes countries in Eastern Asia, South Eastern Asia, South Central Asia and Oceania.

www.aptra.asia