As I write this, we are travelling back from the 2026 edition of the Trinity Forum in Doha. Events like Trinity always offer a valuable moment for reflection, not only on what is said on stage, but on what the conversations and themes reveal about the direction of our industry.
These gatherings remain an essential opportunity to bring the travel retail community together, share knowledge and exchange best practice that can elevate the whole market. Precisely because of the importance of this event, one reflection stood out to me this year. Compared with previous editions, the balance felt more tilted towards roundtable discussions and shared opinions, and slightly less towards sessions driven by data and actionable insights. In my view, maintaining the right balance between the two is essential for the progress of our industry, and for keeping those of us who are starving for data and insights happy too.
Travel retail is evolving quickly, and keeping pace requires a collective willingness to share real learning and real evidence. Open dialogue is vital, but it is when discussion is supported by concrete insight that the industry can truly move forward.
With that in mind, here are some of the key takeaways I had from the event in Doha.
Experience & hospitality
Given Qatar Duty Free’s focus on experiencentricity, it was no surprise that experience and hospitality dominated both delegate conversations and the stage agenda. This is a core pillar of our industry and one that cannot be ignored, but it must stand alongside the other fundamentals of the offer. While Fraport Bulgaria’s Svetlana Simeonova argued on stage that duty free is about experience, not discounts, I would contend that both remain fundamental pillars of the market and neither should be sacrificed for the other.
As always in Qatar, the hospitality from our hosts was exceptional. Qatar Airways, Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport and The Moodie Davitt Report team delivered a truly memorable event experience.
Travel retail needs engagement
It is time for travel retail to acknowledge that we are not yet fully unlocking our potential. The numbers make this clear, and this is why strong data remains so important at events like Trinity. Revenue and spend are not growing in line with passenger recovery. ACI’s Slava Cheglatonyev highlighted this clearly in his presentation. The conclusion is uncomfortable but simple: we are not engaging potential shoppers effectively enough.
This is why actionable insights matter. We cannot solve these challenges through assumption alone. Munich Airport’s Jan Henrik Andersson was right to underline that growth depends on connecting insights with genuine customer engagement, not simply increasing footfall and hoping conversion follows.
Insights vs opinions
As mentioned, this year’s programme felt more weighted towards opinion led discussion than in previous editions. Dialogue and debate are fundamental to progress, but the industry also benefits enormously from sessions that bring concrete evidence, measurable results and real case studies to the stage.
Delegates attend Trinity to learn, to challenge thinking and to move the industry forward together. The most valuable sessions are those that combine perspective with proof and inspiration with substance.
Be flexible
The topic of business models in travel retail has been discussed for many years, often without sufficient action. It was encouraging to hear renewed focus on how the industry can move forward in a more practical way. In a fast changing environment, flexibility remains one of travel retail’s most underused strengths.
Sammy Patel of Vantage Group highlighted the importance of flexibility in partnerships, and he is right. Just as we talk about tailoring the customer offer to location and demographics, the same principle must apply to how we collaborate across the industry. Lima Airport’s efforts to break silos, as highlighted by Norbert Onkelbach, are a positive step in this direction.
Localisation, décor and identity
Regular readers will know that I firmly believe storytelling is one of travel retail’s most powerful tools. It is how we create excitement, engagement and memory, the foundations of loyalty.
But stories only work when they are authentic to place and brought to life within the airport environment. Hearing Portland Design’s Lewis Allen describe localisation as a core competitive asset for airports strongly resonated, and the examples shared by Luigi Battuello and SEA Milano show how a strong local identity can transform the traveller experience. To fully unlock this potential, the industry now needs more discussion on how to deliver these concepts in practice.
As a final note, Trinity was also an opportunity for us at 2.0 & Partners to share our new CXM framework, Measure. Train. Coach., built on real world experience to support a structured approach to customer experience. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch: hello@20partners.com