News Blog

Last week’s TFWA World Exhibition & Conference welcomed a record number of buyers and landlords to the show floor. A total of 2,861 came to Cannes this year, a rise of 4% on the 2023 number, which was already up by a significant 15% on the previous year. 141 landlord companies attended including over 80 international airports, with airlines, cruise and ferry companies also strongly represented. Many top travel retailers came with considerably larger delegations than previous years.

Reflecting the truly worldwide nature of the event, all regions of the world were well-represented, with a total of 7,456 visitors making their way to Cannes from all corners of the globe. This total number was up 2% on the 2023 visitor attendance.

The industry proved keen to share the celebratory mood surrounding the 40th anniversary of TFWA, and just under 4,000 people headed to the Carlton Beach to join the ‘Starry Night’ party on Wednesday night.

A panel of world-class speakers took to the conference stage on Monday morning, and the Grand Auditorium was full to the rafters as delegates packed in to hear from three women whose inspirational stories were the talk of the event during the rest of the week. At the Majestic Hotel on Tuesday, the ‘Reimagining travel retail’ workshop, which focused on innovative strategies that every stakeholder can adopt to thrive in this dynamic environment, was also well attended.

462 exhibitors representing thousands of world-class established brands and innovative products from all categories occupied over 25,000 sqm of exhibition space in Cannes’ iconic Palais des Festivals.

A new format for the TFWA i.lab gave visitors the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge solutions and meet the most innovative start-ups aiming to elevate the retail experience for travellers in a refreshed, informal environment designed to encourage conversation and collaboration.

“It brings me great joy that the final TFWA World Exhibition & Conference I attended in the capacity of President was such a resounding success, and it was an occasion that many of us will remember for years to come. It is a testament to the strength of the industry and our shared commitment to growth that more landlords than ever before came this year to Cannes. The impressive number of people who joined us on the beach on Wednesday went to show that networking outside of working hours remains a key element in the success of our events. As we begin to look towards next year’s dates in Singapore and Cannes, I’m convinced that this momentum will propel us to even greater heights in 2025.” - Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President