TFWA World Conference 2026

The conference opens with a state of the industry address by TFWA President Sarah Branquinho. At a time of economic uncertainty, evolving traveller expectations and profound shifts in global commerce, she will reflect on the industry’s current position and the opportunities emerging for duty free and travel retail in a rapidly changing world.

The opening session welcomes economist and bestselling author David McWilliams for an exploration of the geopolitical and economic realities reshaping international business. As globalization enters a new and more fragmented phase, the session will examine the impact of shifting trade dynamics, political instability and economic nationalism on industries built around openness and mobility. For travel retail, these changes are more than background noise—they are forces actively reshaping the ecosystem in which the industry operates.

The programme then turns to the future of travel itself with Gilles Roucolle, Managing Partner and Head of Industries at Oliver Wyman and author of Transformations in Mobility, will explore how airports and transport hubs are evolving in response to technological innovation, sustainability and changing traveller expectations. As mobility becomes smarter, more connected and increasingly experience-driven, the session will consider how commercial spaces may transform—and what this means for the future relationship between travellers, brands and destinations.

The conference will close by shifting focus from systems and spaces to something more deeply human. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg will explore the forces shaping human performance, communication and behaviour—and how these shifts are influencing the consumer of the future. At a time when attention, habits and decision-making are increasingly shaped by technology and constant connectivity, understanding why people behave the way they do has become essential for the industry seeking more meaningful relationships with travellers. In many ways, the session will bring the conference full circle: reminding delegates that beyond geopolitics, mobility and infrastructure, the future of travel retail will ultimately be shaped by human behaviour itself.

As the world continues to shift, travel retail faces a defining moment of reinvention and opportunity. The 2026 TFWA World Conference will offer delegates a chance to reflect on an industry in transition—and the ideas, leadership and innovation that will determine where it goes next.