ETRC sets out three-year strategy

Dermot Davitt

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Ambitious aims include having membership in all European countries and industry sectors

The European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) has set out an ambitious programme of action for the next three years, following a meeting of its supervisory board in Paris this week.

The 2005-2008 marketing plan outlines three key objectives:

*Within three years, the ETRC will have member companies / national associations / associate members in all European countries and industry sectors

*Within two years, the ETRC will have its travel-retail trading indices and economic indicators accepted as the benchmarks for the trade itself and the promoters of the economic value of the industry to the European economy

*Within three years the ETRC will be recognised and accepted at European political and legislative levels as the authentic voice of the travel-retail industry with regard to consultation and input on legislative and regulatory proposals.

In a statement, the council said: "While maintaining its current focus on managing the issues that could impact upon the trade within Europe and beyond, the ETRC's goal to become accepted as the representative organisation for Europe's duty free and travel retail industry can genuinely now be realised."

It added: "From 2006, additional resources will be allocated to the membership promotion initiative and to developing new research projects, such as quantifying employment within the industry and the contribution that the industry makes to the European economy, plus being recognised as the key source for information on the industry with the opinion-forming press."