There can be no doubt anymore: travel retail is no longer simply a sales channel, it is part of the global experience and hospitality market.
Traveller numbers are rising. Airports are filling. Yet engagement is not following the same trajectory. Average spend is falling short, and that gap cannot be closed by passenger traffic alone. The only way forward is a change of mentality. Travel retail must adopt a hospitality mindset.
Traveller numbers are rising. Airports are filling. Yet engagement is not following the same trajectory…The only way forward is a change of mentality. Travel retail must adopt a hospitality mindset.
The latest m1nd-set data makes the case plainly. Almost a third of shoppers worldwide buy on impulse, and the single most powerful driver of that is not digital prompts or promotions—it is people. Seventy-three percent of travellers who engaged with staff say that conversation directly influenced their purchase decision. Even more striking, 15% admit they would not have bought anything at all without that human connection.
That is why the role of frontline staff cannot be to push products; it must be to create engagement, to provide service, and to build a sense of welcome. And that responsibility does not begin at the threshold of the store. The traveller journey is shaped well before they walk into retail. From check-in nerves to security stress, every stage creates pinch points that affect mindset. A hospitality approach means recognising these moments, adapting to them, and guiding travellers through in a way that makes them open, receptive, and ready to engage.
That is why the role of frontline staff cannot be to push products; it must be to create engagement, to provide service, and to build a sense of welcome. And that responsibility does not begin at the threshold of the store.
Of course, this is not easy. Every traveller demographic behaves differently. Every nationality carries distinct expectations of service. Delivering a truly hospitality-led experience requires more than good intentions—it demands structure, culture, and training. Businesses themselves must reflect a hospitality mindset if they expect their teams to live it in front of shoppers.
This is not a ‘nice to have.’ It is not an additional cost. It is an investment—one with a direct line to future success and improved business results. Every team member matters, and every team member can be an ambassador for your brand. But they can only play that role if we equip them properly.
That is why we created the Airport Ambassador Academy. Its purpose is simple: to help every member of your frontline become more than staff, to help them become storytellers, guides, and hosts.
And on September 10, we will take this conversation further. 2.0 & Partners’ Head of Hospitality Programmes & Brand Planning, Vittoria Passoni, will host our first free webinar dedicated to this exact topic: why hospitality is the future of travel retail, and how airports can deliver it.
We invite you to join us.
