CHINA. Duty Free Expert (DFE), the independent Chinese training, brand representation and publishing house founded and owned by former Sunrise Duty Free executive Jason Cao, hosted a key educational course on 14 November in Hainan dedicated to duty free retail skills.
DFE was invited to teach at the Teaching Skills and Professional Knowledge Training for Higher Education Teachers of Hainan Province on a range of travel retail topics. Hantao Yang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman and President of Sanya Aviation and Tourism College, and other senior leadership attended the course.
Jason Cao co-lectured the course through online-offline interaction, themed sharing, and on-site workshops.
Seventy-four teachers from 11 higher education & vocational colleges in Hainan attended the course, which explored development trends within China travel retail and premium brand growth strategies in the duty free sector. The course was highly rated by all teachers at the training, DFE said.
Cao, speaking online from Madrid where he was holidaying, gave an overview of the duty free industry and reviewed its historical development. He took a deep dive on key metrics as well as roles and responsibilities of different parties; elaborated how Hainan’s offshore duty free business has led China Duty Free Group (CDFG) to become the top travel retailer worldwide [according to The Moodie Davitt Report annual Top 25 ranking], and analysed the philosophies and rationale behind industry development.
The rapid development of travel retail in Hainan and potential related business opportunities prompted many questions from higher vocational college participants. Ms Ping Hou, Dean of the International Tourism School of Sanya Aviation and Tourism College, also joined the seminar on site. She shared her views and case-specific analysis on cultivating higher education & industry talents required for Hainan’s Free Trade Port development.
Cao elaborated on the talent structure of the travel retail industry and offered suggestions on college-corporate partnership and talent training at higher education colleges.
The duty free industry is a key sector in building Hainan Free Trade Port and International Tourism Consumption Center. Since the implementation of Hainan’s enhanced duty free shopping policy on 1 July, 2020 and despite the global pandemic, Hainan’s travel retail sales have grown rapidly to RMB41.7 billion/US$6.5 billion (of which duty free represented RMB35.5 billion/US$5.6 billion) in the first nine months of 2021, attendees learned.
Given such growth, the talent gap has become an obvious issue as the sector development and the cultivation of improved human resources have become a key focus for government, industry, and corporates.
The 2021 Teaching Skills and Professional Knowledge Training for Higher Education Teachers of Hainan Province is a project specifically created to support the Free Trade Port strategy. Steered by Hainan’s Education Department and organized by Sanya Aviation and Tourism College, the project offers a province-wide upskill training for higher education teachers at vocational colleges.
“This training course is fully aligned with Hainan’s Free Trade Port development and industry needs, and is both necessary and timely,” said DFE.
“With 74 teachers from 11 higher education & vocational colleges participating, this training programme has also created a platform for partnership and communication between ecommerce players, duty free companies, and higher education & vocational colleges. It will mark the opening of a new era for Hainan’s ecommerce and duty free talent cultivation.”
As a pioneering and influential duty free industry resource and service platform in China, DFE has gained 25,000 long-time followers across various sectors, the company noted. It pledged to use that influence to advance travel retail professionalism within the country.
“In the future, the platform will continue to enhance communication and partnership with retailers, brands, industry associations, and R&D and education institutions to jointly promote the development of travel retail and contribute to Hainan’s Free Trade Port development.”
For more information please contact dfe@idutyfree.cn
Note: Every fortnight The Moodie Davitt Report publishes Hainan Curated, in association with Foreo, a curated selection of all recent stories from the offshore duty free sector. Click here to subscribe free of charge and to view all back issues.
