Lagardère Travel Retail wins Tanzanian duty free concession

Lagardère Travel Retail is set to expand its footprint in Africa after being awarded the concession to operate two duty free stores in the new terminal at Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere International Airport.

It and local partner, Bevco Limited, will build and operate the outlets in the brand new Terminal 3 at the gateway to capital city, Dar es Salaam.

Lagardère Travel Retail believes that the concession, awarded by the Tanzanian Airports Authority (TAA), demonstrates its ambitions for the African continent, where it states that it hopes to “further capitalise on the region’s resilient attractiveness and air traffic”.

Joint venture partner, Tanzanian spirits distributor, Bevco, will provide Lagardère Travel Retail with the local expertise to ensure the success of the operation at one of the region’s most dynamic hubs.

According to Lagardère, the 206sqm and 160sqm stores respectively will feature all the duty free core business categories, travel accessories, souvenirs and snacking.

Its international concept Aelia Duty Free, is expected to provide passenger with a diverse range of popular international brands along with a good mix of local offerings to ensure a true sense of place that embraces Tanzanian culture, architecture and cuisine.

Frédéric Chevalier, COO EMEA at Lagardère Travel Retail, said: “We have significant growth ambitions for our operations on the African continent and hope our experience in Tanzania will continue to consolidate our position as a leading international travel retailer in the region.”

While Béatrice & Régis Voegel, owners of Incodeal AG, parent company of Bevco Limited, said: “Tanzania as a place to invest and work, and moreover as a country, is very near and dear to our heart. We do believe that Tanzania, through its great people and thanks to its significant structural and economic reforms, is huge a influencer, and a serious growth driver for the region.

“We are therefore thrilled to extend our domestic market activities into Travel Retail in joint venture with a worldwide recognised specialist, Lagardère Travel Retail, and in close collaboration with TAA and all local partners.”