The Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Board and Management Committee have decided to change the format of the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference this year, which was due to be held May 9-12 in Singapore.
 
The decision was influenced by concerns regarding the recent developments relating to the Covid-19 situation in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region in general.
 
With stricter health and safety measures being reinstated in many countries throughout the region following the advance of the Omicron variant, the TFWA decided that a live Exhibition organized in this situation would not be able to provide the desired level of benefit and support to the industry.
 
A number of options are currently being reviewed by the Association to ensure that TFWA can continue to provide the best level of support to the duty free and travel retail industry in the Asia-Pacific region, regardless of the situation.
 
Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President commented: “I would like to thank all those TFWA members and exhibitors, and duty free and travel retailers, who have committed to this year’s event. We thank you for your loyalty and ask for your understanding for this difficult decision. Our thanks go to the TFWA team for all they have done to try to stage this event in very challenging circumstances. I have absolutely no doubt that the Asia-Pacific market will recover and TFWA is determined to play its part in contributing to its future growth. Our Singapore event has helped build a strong platform for duty free & travel retail in the Asia Pacific region and will do so again.
 
“Looking ahead, we are conscious that the support of our members and of the duty free and travel retailers is essential if we are to maintain the program of high-quality events that has come to define the travel retail calendar and is a lynchpin of our industry’s growth. TFWA exists to provide a platform for brands to do business in the global duty free and travel retail market, and for retailers to offer a compelling range of products to travelers. We cannot provide that platform without brand and retailer support. In the coming days we will communicate directly with our members with a full update on the situation and the way forward for the Association.
 
Further details will follow next week.