Total visitor numbers to TFWA World Exhibition reached 5,398 representatives from 2,570 companies; +8% more visitors than attended the exhibition in 2009, and +12% more from the key duty free and travel retail operators and landlords sectors. Encouragingly, visitor numbers reached 2008 levels, with duty free and travel retail operators and landlords just -1% down, but visiting agents up +2%.

Most importantly for exhibitors, key visitor groups continue to represent an increasing share of total visitor numbers. Landlords and operators has grown three percentage points since 2008, and now represents 32% of the mix, while agents, representing 40% of total visitors, has seen growth of two percentage points in the past three years. Meanwhile, the number of non-exhibiting manufacturers visiting the event has decreased by four points in the same time, to 23% of the total.

Given the event’s location, it is not surprising that France remains the biggest source of visitors, with 217 people attending domestically. But it was the UK and USA – ranked second and third respectively – which saw impressive growth, up +18% and +17% respectively.

Growth in the Middle East duty free market has led to continuously high numbers from the region; the UAE, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are all among the top 25 visiting nationalities, with the UAE maintaining a top five position for the third year in a row.

Asia is an increasingly important source of visitors, representing 14% of the total, and the growth and potential in the Chinese market was reflected this year by a +24% increase in visitors from the country. And Russia, with visitor numbers increasing from 88 in 2009 to 110 in 2010, is leading the growth seen in many Eastern European countries.

But the biggest growth of the year was seen in visitors from Turkey, up +53% from 2009 to 87 visitors this year – and a leap up the table from 18th to 13th biggest contributor of visitors.