(30-Jan-2003) Tourist arrivals in Hong Kong jumped 20.7% in 2002 to a record 16.6m, 41% of whom were mainland Chinese, according to the territory's Tourism Board

(30-Jan-2003) Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), operator of Cancun airport and eight others in south-east Mexico, has announced a 44% increase in duty-free sales for the year ended December 31, 2002

(30-Jan-2003) Manchester airport's terminal one is to undergo a dramatic overhaul of its landside and airside retail areas in time for the 2003 summer holiday season

(29-Jan-2003) Leading industrialists have called for the creation of a global coalition to tackle the problem of fake goods, which they believe is hurting business and government tax revenues by around $450bn annually

(29-Jan-2003) Irish airports operator Aer Rianta has announced that a record 19.3m passengers travelled through Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports during 2002. Passenger numbers through the three airports were 4% higher than 2001

(29-Jan-2003) The prequalification process for retail tenders at Iceland's Keflavik International airport has been delayed again, and the airport authority is now expecting to announce qualifying parties by the end of next week

(28-Jan-2003) Luxury goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton said today it is finalizing the sale of Hard Candy and Urban Decay makeup brands to the Falic Group, owner of Duty Free Americas

(28-Jan-2003) The second phase of Kuala Lumpur International airport's shopping campaign was launched last week, celebrating Malaysia's role in world sport

(25-Jan-2003) An investigation into the effectiveness of UK border policing has slammed air and sea port operators for considering commercial revenue over security

(24-Jan-2003) French airport authority Aeroports de Paris (AdP) has chosen Aelia as its partner in the planned joint-venture company to run retail at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport terminal two

(24-Jan-2003) LVMH, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton today announced consolidated sales for 2002 of ?12.7bn ($13.5bn), a rise of 4% over 2001 following accelerated growth in the final quarter

(23-Jan-2003) Leading Gulf carrier Emirates is planning to reintroduce liquor and tobacco to its inflight programme on selected routes in the coming months

(23-Jan-2003) Singapore Changi airport handled 29m passengers in 2002, up 3.2% on 2001 and surpassing the previous record of 28.6m set in 2000

(22-Jan-2003) World Duty Free chief executive Mark Riches has said that overseas expansion could be back on the agenda in the next three years, as the group seeks growth beyond its UK locations

(22-Jan-2003) Masterfoods International Travel Retail (MITR) has sold over 500 tonnes through Dubai Duty Free (DDF) in the past 12 months, with the supplier's Galaxy, M&M's and Celebrations brands contributing most to DDFs record annual sales last year

(22-Jan-2003) The new Fort Lauderdale location for the Duty Free Show of the Americas will prove more cost-effective for delegates, once it becomes effective in 2005

(22-Jan-2003) The IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas will move from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, Florida effective 2005

(22-Jan-2003) The European Commission has proposed a regulation that will allow its customs authorities to seize suspected counterfeit or pirated goods from passengers even if they are within the EU duty-free allowance (?175/$175)

(22-Jan-2003) Leading vodka supplier The Absolut Company, owned by Vin & Sprit, has added a new variant to its range of flavoured vodkas

(21-Jan-2003) LanChile has appointed Inflight Sales Group (ISG) as its exclusive supplier of fragrances, cosmetics and liquor products sold onboard LanChile's duty-free programme from February 12, 2003

(21-Jan-2003) Irish carrier Aer Lingus has suspended onboard duty-free sales while it finalises negotiations over a new pay-bar system that will allow economy passengers a wider choice of food and beverage

(21-Jan-2003) The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency has told TRW that it does not expect to announce the winner of the Douglas crossing tender on the country's southern border until mid-March

(18-Jan-2003) Alpha Retail USA's improved performance at Orlando Sanford International airport was one of few positive areas highlighted by a recent audit of the airport. The audit revealed that average passenger spend at Sanford stood at $10, five times the national average

(18-Jan-2003) World Duty Free (WDF) is to create a radical new look for the liquor category at London Heathrow terminal four with a 7,000sq ft (650sq m) store, to be completed by Autumn 2003

(18-Jan-2003) Greek operator Hellenic Duty Free Shops recorded a 54m ($57m) pre-tax profit for 2002, a 35% year-on-year increase, according to preliminary results announced mid-January

(18-Jan-2003) The latest version of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) text , published Wednesday, shows the World Health Organization's (WHO) continued support for a ban on duty-free tobacco sales

(18-Jan-2003) Frankfurt-Hahn, the small airport west of Frankfurt operated by authority Fraport AG, saw 1.5m passengers in 2002, an increase of 226% on 2001

(16-Jan-2003) **TRI Exclusive** TRW has learned that The Nuance Group in cooperation with local partner Watson and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore have agreed a new central site for a 500sq m (5,380sq ft) fragrances and cosmetics store at Singapore Changi airport terminal two

(16-Jan-2003) An unexpected change in European competition rules has granted companies campaigning to reduce credit card costs on retailers some much-needed leeway

(15-Jan-2003) Sydney Airports Corp (SACL) has appointed URS Australian Airports & Aviation Practice to prepare a master plan for the international terminal at Sydney

(14-Jan-2003) BAA has posted a 15.3% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers over the Christmas holiday period, with 9.4m passengers passing through its seven UK airports

(14-Jan-2003) **EXCLUSIVE** Belorussian duty-free operator Somlen, supplied exclusively by Gebr Heinemann, has opened a new self-service store in Minsk airport's departures area

(14-Jan-2003) Bob Coe, president of DFS Pacific and executive vice-president marketing has resigned and will retire from DFS on January 31

(11-Jan-2003) The Paradies Shops has expanded its presence at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport with the creation of two shops in the airport's new terminal one, concourse B

(11-Jan-2003) Japan-based Traveler Corp has appointed Centaur Travel Retail, the company owned by well-known industry executive Rakhita Jayawardena, as consultant for its Thai Airways duty-free contract

(10-Jan-2003) DFS has moved its downtown Singapore store to a more central location next to the Royal Plaza to offset dwindling tourist numbers

(10-Jan-2003) UK news and gifts retailer WHSmith will operate at Manchester airport for a further seven years with effect from January 2003

(9-Jan-2003) Fashion brand Lanvin is to open a new shop at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

(9-Jan-2003) The long-awaited new downtown duty-free shops in China's capital Beijing and the city of Dalian are set to open in three months time

(9-Jan-2003) A meeting of leading European operators and airports scheduled for February 13 in London could pave the way for a new airport retail marketing drive to travellers, three and a half years on from intra-EU abolition

(9-Jan-2003) Airport Authority Hong Kong has called tenders for the pivotal duty-free liquor & tobacco concession at Hong Kong International airport

(9-Jan-2003) Emirates Airlines manager duty-free sales John Sime has called for the abolition of listing fees for duty-free products as they are holding back growth in the inflight market

(9-Jan-2003) The opening stage of the duty-free tender at Washington's two airports Dulles International and Ronald Reagan National closed on December 20, with airport authority Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) receiving 'multiple' bids, according to a spokesman

(9-Jan-2003) Russian Customs have issued a licence for a new duty-free store on the Russia-China border at Blagoveshchensk, 800km north-west of Vladivostok

(8-Jan-2003) Gebr Heinemann has opened its new duty-free store at Vladivostok airport. The operator told TRW it hoped to capitalise on the city's potential as a centre for international trade

(4-Jan-2003) A report compiled by public policy adviser the Australia Institute has called for duty-free in the country to be scrapped, describing it as "a hidden perk for the rich"

(3-Jan-2003) At its general assembly last month, South American trade association ASUTIL elected its board members for 2003

(3-Jan-2003) The year-end and New Year holiday season was notable for strong growth in the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad, according to tour operator Japan Travel Bureau (JTB)