CANADA: BORDERS


FDFA Executive Director to ensure Canadian duty free remains ‘part of the conversation’


While Canadian land border duty free sales showed a marginal lift (+0.43%) in 2018 to total CAD$156.9m, international tourist spending has waned in a tough cross-border climate and the Frontier Duty Free Association is working hard to redress the balance. Luke Barras-Hill reports.


R


egistering growth of +6.7% to total CAD$486.8m (US$377.6m)


in 2018,


Canadian airport duty free bettered its land border counterpart. This is according to Canadian national duty free sales statistics from the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA). However, gains were still made, particularly in the Pacific Region where annual sales jumped by nearly 4.9% to CAD$24.5m ($18.9m). This is despite a more challenging economic picture; the Canadian dollar’s softening against the Greenback and uncertainty surrounding further interest rate hikes to jumpstart a sluggish economy [although at press time Canada’s central bank had benchmarked interest rates at 1.75%] are chief among concerns. TRBusiness asks FDFA Executive


Director Barbara Barrett for her take on the year and what FDFA is doing to strengthen the Canadian duty free business.


Firstly, It’s been less than a year since you joined FDFA as Executive Director. How have you settled into the role and is it what you expected? It has been an exciting six to seven


MARCH 2019


months for me in this role packed with activity. In my role, my focus has been to get out and visit the stores and to learn about the differences in each geographical location. It has also been important for me to make FDFA part of the conversation again and to raise awareness among key stakeholders, government officials and the public. Our members are an important


part of their individual communities and an important part of the Canadian tapestry – we have work to do to get that message out there and I am excited about the road ahead to reach that goal. As Executive Director, I plan to not ‘settle in’, I plan to keep the momentum moving forward.


Can you outline your key advocacy aims for the FDFA in the time you’ve been with the organisation? With the 2019 federal election right around the corner, FDFA aims to ensure that government are aware of the importance and challenges of the duty free industry. Our issues are bipartisan in nature and it has been our approach to engage with members of parliament from all


political stripes. One key issue we are focused on


as an association is the return of the visitor rebate programme to Canada and positioning ourselves as a key stakeholder in this issue. We have had a number of meetings both with finance and tourism team members to highlight the benefits of a rebate programme to the tourism industry and the visitor economy in Canada, as well as the impact on our industry and Canadian businesses since the programme was cancelled in 2007. Other advocacy highlights will


include protecting and enhancing duty free store programmes and tobacco sales issues.


Where you pleased with the national land border and airport


“It has been important for me to make FDFA part of the conversation again and to raise awareness among key stakeholders, government officials and the public.”


Barbara Barrett, Executive Director, FDFA


TRBUSINESS 57


Above: Michael Resch, Owner, Emerson Duty Free (DFS Ventures) joins other DF&TR stakeholders for the FDFA Convention’s official ribbon- cutting ceremony.


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