European airports last year regained 79% of their 2019 passengers, at double the volume of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attendance at European airports likewise increased by 98% in 2022 compared to the previous year, reaching 1.94 billion passengers, according to ACI Europe, which covers more than 500 airport hubs in 55 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The news comes amid renewed hopes that the industry has turned the page on Covid-19 even if economic and geopolitical uncertainties remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet to maintain this momentum, the sector must do all it can to protect the industries supporting the recovery of travel\u2013 including duty- and tax-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As with many global industries, the duty- and tax-free industry is affected by the actions of unscrupulous individuals and groups seeking to co-opt the duty- and tax-free identity as a means of masking illicit trade, counterfeiting activity and intellectual property theft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These forms of illegality result in millions of lost sales opportunities every year, with the duty-and tax-free industry suffering commercial and reputational damage from having its name co-opted by this criminal activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n