LATIN AMERICA. A sold-out ASUTIL Conference 2026 took place in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from 2 to 5 June.
This year marked the 25th ASUTIL Conference and is themed FLOW, which ASUTIL said symbolises sharper content, stronger business moments and a clear focus: understanding where the industry is moving and how to capture that growth. Read on for our rolling highlights from the event.
4 JUNE
5.45pm
4.45pm
3pm
2.30pm
A thought-provoking Trinity session titled ‘Three Perspectives Shaping the Travel Retail Ecosystem’ brought together leading voices from across the industry to discuss the evolving dynamics of the airport retail landscape.
Moderated by journalist John Gallagher (representing The Moodie Davitt Report), the panel featured L’Oréal Luxe Travel Retail Americas Vice President Antoine Diwan, VINCI Airports Commercial Offer Director Assia Dahmani and Avolta President & CEO LATAM & Caribbean Enrique Urioste.
Addressing the industry’s long-standing challenges, Urioste observed that travel retail has struggled to achieve a penetration rate above 20% over the past two decades.
“In the old world, there was zero innovation,” he said. “You displayed products and hoped they would sell. Today, brands need to understand the customer better, create the experiences shoppers are looking for and collaborate more effectively.”
Dahmani emphasised the importance of partnership across the travel retail ecosystem, arguing that success is “not just about splitting the cake but making it bigger”. She identified data as a critical enabler of future growth and highlighted the importance of creating a strong sense of place within airport retail environments through local products and authentic experiences.
Diwan echoed the need for greater customer-centricity, noting that airport retailers and brand partners cannot realistically compete with domestic markets on price alone.
“Travel retail is the physical window of an increasingly digital world,” he said. “Technology will play an important role in accelerating collaboration between the trinity partners.”
Expanding on the role of technology and data, Urioste revealed that Avolta is actively investing in data-driven businesses and related start-ups, with 14 investments currently in its portfolio.
He also underlined the company’s commitment to cross-category concepts that blend retail and food & beverage, citing hybrid formats such as Avolta’s Real Madrid café and retail store at Madrid-Barajas Airport as examples of how the company is seeking to create more engaging consumer experiences.
The discussion highlighted a common theme among all three panellists: the future success of travel retail will depend on deeper collaboration, smarter use of data and technology, and a relentless focus on evolving consumer expectations.
2pm
A informative session titled ‘Advocacy and Regulatory Challenges in LATAM’ opened this afternoon’s conference programme, bringing regulatory and industry issues into sharp focus.
Moderated by ASUTIL Secretary General Carlos Loaiza-Keel, the influential panel featured Duty Free World Council President Sarah Branquinho and Avolta Brazil CEO Gustavo Fagundes, who examined key advocacy priorities, regulatory developments and broader challenges facing the global duty-free and travel retail sector.
Branquinho began with an overview of one of the most pressing issues currently affecting the European travel retail industry: the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). The new digital border-control process, which replaces passport stamps with biometric registration, has led to concerns over lengthy processing times at airports, negatively impacting passenger dwell time and, consequently, commercial performance.
She also highlighted a huge advocacy success for the duty-free industry in Europe, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) Meeting of Parties on Illicit Tobacco (MOP4), staged last November, agreed that the WHO research showed no evidence of a relationship between duty free and illicit trade in tobacco products. More details here.
Turning to the Middle East and Africa, Branquinho pointed to liquor-labelling requirements among a range of regulatory challenges facing operators across the region.
In Asia Pacific, however, she delivered more encouraging news, noting increases in duty-free allowances that will benefit the sector, with arrivals allowances rising +50% for local residents and +66% for foreign visitors in one key market.
Addressing North America, Branquinho drew attention to the severe challenges confronting Canadian border stores amid a sharp decline in US-Canada cross-border traffic. She also referenced issues surrounding gate delivery in the US market.
Fagundes then provided an overview of the regulatory landscape across Latin America, identifying Brazil’s forthcoming tax reform as a major issue. He noted that any changes are likely to have implications beyond Brazil.
Closing the session, Branquinho stressed the importance of transparency, robust reporting systems and industry collaboration in building trust with regulators and stakeholders. She encouraged companies to support the duty-free industry’s Trusted, Transparent and Secure illicit trade charter.
Echoing the call for collective action, Fagundes urged industry stakeholders to prioritise compliance and work together to strengthen the sector’s credibility and long-term sustainability.
12.30pm
3 JUNE
9pm Gala Dinner – ASUTIL-style
4pm
1230
11.45am
In a beauty category-focused final plenary session, Coty Vice President Latin America and Travel Retail Diego Artola profiled the role of fragrances & cosmetics in the regional assortment.
Beauty represents a strong 40% of sales in Latin American travel retail and is the fastest-growing category, he said. Highlighting the role of social media in driving purchase, he noted that discovery happens online with transactions offline in the travel channel.
Beauty’s presence online is growing – digital sales represent just 5% of the regional total.
The channel remains a key one for brand promotion and launches. Kylie Cosmetics launched in Latin American airports ahead of local markets, and in the first year it reached a top five position within makeup with zero investment in media, Artola noted. He also touched on the vital role of travel retail in supporting recent CK Euphoria and Marc Jacobs launches.
11am
ASUTIL Secretary-General Carlos Loaiza-Keel led a panel on the border business that included regional MP for Rio Grande do Sul Frederico Antunes; Chief Economist from Rio Grande Do Sul state government Tomás Pinheiro Fiori; Avolta Brasil CEO Gustavo Fagundes; and Bah Free Shop CEO Paulo Pavin.
Pinheiro presented a study on recent sales in the 39 border stores currently operating in Brazil. He confirmed that sales in 2025 reached US$125.3 million and forecast increases over the next few years, along with additional store openings. Uruguaiana continues to be the most important city for land border stores, accounting for just over 40% of total sales.
Antunes said that retailers had started conversations with the Brazilian government to increase the allowances for shoppers at border stores. He said that there was no reason not to double the allowances to US$1,000 and 24 litres of alcoholic beverages per month, in line with airport duty-free stores.
The economic study presented by Pinheiro proved that the duty-free stores actually aided regular retail in border towns by attracting more visitors to the towns with stores as well as increasing employment in hotels and restaurants.
Both Fagundes and Pavin agreed that duty-free retailing had turned the corner in Brazil and pleaded with suppliers to visit stores and increase promotional actions in the region.
10.30am
ASUTIL President Enrique Urioste made an emotional tribute to three individuals who have played an important role in helping ASUTIL down the years.
The first was the late Linda Hopkins (1965-2006), Founder of what is now Travel Markets Insider and former TFWA Conferences and Research Director; secondly Lois Pasternak, who now owns Travel Markets Insider; and finally The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie.
In a live video link, Urioste greeted Moodie and wished him, to applause, a speedy recovery from the illness that prevented him from attending this year’s conference.
10.15am
During his fascinating session, Avolta Chief Digital & Technology Officer Vijay Talwar sounded a note of caution around artificial intelligence, arguing that successful implementation depends on strong foundations rather than adopting technology for its own sake.
He noted that an estimated 95% of AI projects fail and stressed the importance of governance and employee engagement.
While automation can deliver efficiencies in back-of-house functions, Talwar said the greater opportunity lies in empowering frontline teams, suggesting that even a modest +2% uplift in employee productivity could have a transformative impact on business performance and customer experience.
In a telling insight, Talwar said some 8% of Avolta revenue is now generated by Club Avolta, representing over US$1.5 billion in sales. He recalled wryly how a delegate at The Trinity Forum 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City told him that loyalty would never work in the travel retail channel.
Disrupt but also listen to and respect the naysayers
During the question and answer session that followed, The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie commented (remotely from his Hong Kong base), “The naysayers always doubt the disrupters. Bravo to Vijay and the Avolta leadership for sticking to plan and positively disrupting the status quo.”
Moodie then asked, “How satisfying is it to be the disrupter who defeats the eternal naysayers? And how do you overcome the inevitable negativity – internal and external – that comes with being that disrupter?”
Talwar replied, “That’s a great question, Martin. Honestly, to me it comes down to one simple word, and that is respect.
“I talked earlier about the word trust, and you cannot build trust with people unless you have the respect. And I don’t mean respect only for the people who believe in you. I think you need to respect even the naysayers, because they have a point of view, and if you’re not listening, that means you’re not respecting them.
“It is really important in any transformation that you listen to the naysayers. You have to be able to respect them and actually truly internalise what they are saying, because if you do, they will gain respect for you as well.
“That to me is the most important part, you have to stay positive. You have to keep a good attitude throughout the whole process, though transformation is never easy. But the most important part is having a vision where you can see what it looks like on the other side, and that truly starts with the first step, which is respect.”
10am
In an engaging fireside chat with John Gallagher, Duty Free Americas Vice President Dov Falic stressed the importance of Latin America for the company. DFA has operated in Punta Cana since early 2009, and operations have increased from humble beginnings with a 60sq m kiosk to 7,000sq m at the airport.
Punta Cana is now Dominican Republic’s principal international gateway and international traffic has increased. The traditional markets of USA, Canada and Europe are now being joined with sharp traffic rises from Brazil and Argentina.
Duty Free Americas has also enjoyed solid sales at Tocumen International Airport in Panama where the company has sought to develop efficient and friendly service to passengers, especially those who use the gateway as a transit hub and have little dwell and shopping time.
Falic highlighted the company’s strong performance across its operations in Uruguay, where the retailer has maintained a presence since 2008. Falic said the business has entered a particularly strong growth phase over the past two years.
He also noted that the company’s border stores in Uruguay have evolved beyond traditional travel retail categories, offering a broader mix of products and differentiated shopping experiences tailored to local consumer demand.
Falic pointed to opportunities in Venezuela, where Duty Free Americas has maintained its border retail operations despite challenging market conditions.
Looking ahead, Falic said the company’s five-year strategy centres on consolidating growth while transforming the travel retail experience across its network. Major investment programmes are planned at key gateways, including Miami, Los Angeles and New York John F. Kennedy international airports.
9am
ASUTIL President and CEO of Avolta Latin America & Caribbean Enrique Urioste and ASUTIL Secretary General Carlos Loaiza-Keel opened the conference to a packed hall of more than 300 delegates. Urioste thanked all for attending and the sponsors for helping organise a full schedule of events and the ASUTIL team for a seamless organisation.
Looking at recent business events, Loaiza-Keel updated delegates on the latest discussions with the Uruguayan government to maintain the competitiveness of the Uruguayan border shop system and conversations with the Brazilian government on control of product sales and taxation issues.
Loaiza commented that Latin American international air traffic was performing more robustly than in other parts of the world with a +4.5% increase forecast for 2026 to 147 million passengers. He also advised that the influence of the cruise industry has increased in the region and forecast further increases over the next few years.
The Uruguayan border shop trade is also buoyant with sales reaching just over US$400 million in 2025, up +11% on the previous year. Sales over the last two years were clearly ahead of the previous record year in 2011. Rivera continued to be the most important city of the six where duty free sales are permitted but he underlined that sales had performed well in all cities since the Covid-19 pandemic ended.
Meanwhile sales in the Brazilian border shops reached US$125 million in 2025, with Uruguaiana being the most important city with sales of US$51 million.
08.30
2 JUNE
The 25th ASUTIL Conference opened this evening, bringing guests together in the open-air setting of Plaza Colonial at the Paradisus Palma Real Hotel in Punta Cana for the Welcome Cocktail hosted by Bernabel Trading/Zeinal Hermanos.
ASUTIL Secretary-General Carlos Loaiza-Keel told the Moodie Davitt Report: “This year we have gone with a very informal cocktail with no welcome speeches or discussions.
“Our experience tells us that our delegates want to meet with their friends from previous years, look back on business over the last few months, plan networking meetings for the conference and talk about the future.
“Without any doubt, the social part is the most important part of tonight’s event, and we think it has been a great success.
“I would like to thank Walter Zeinal and Martin Laffitte of Bernabel/Zeinal for the sponsorship of tonight’s event and to the whole ASUTIL team for organising the party and the whole conference. Tomorrow, we get down to the conference proper with a great agenda for the delegates.”
This year’s chosen Women in Travel Retail beneficiary is Morgan’s Army, a fine Welsh charity founded in February 2023 by Natalie and Matthew Ridler following the passing of their son Morgan from cancer at just three years old.
Morgan’s Army supports families across South Wales affected by childhood cancer, with a particular focus on the often overlooked siblings of young cancer patients. It was nominated by The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla and our late Chief Operating Officer Sinead Moodie.
