Duty Free World Council Puts Out Study on the Americas

The Duty Free World Council (DFWC) has published a report on the economic impact of the Americas duty free industry outlining its contribution to the travel industry and broader economy.

This independent report on the industry in the Americas was compiled by InterVistas Consulting Group, a management consulting company with experience in aviation, transportation and tourism.

The publication of this study follows release of a similar study on the European industry published in 2016. It will be complemented by a study on the impact of the Asia Pacific industry in 2019.

According to this latest study, $12.9bn was spent on DF&TR in the Americas in 2016. Duty Free and travel retail sales in the aviation channel estimated at nearly $1.9bn in the US and Canada and $4.8bn in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most of this was generated within airport terminals.

Land and maritime duty free and travel retail sales amounts to around $6.2bn, while DF&TR spend in the Americas directly accounts for an estimated 61,400 jobs and $8.2bn in GDP.

Together with businesses that supply goods and services (indirect impacts) and spending of employees in the wider economy (induced impacts), duty free and travel retail in the Americas is estimated to support a total of 110,000 jobs and $10.6bn in GDP.

The DFWC acknowledges and thanks the Americas regional associations and industry research and trade organizations, which provided inputs to assist the compilation of the report.

Source: TR Business