Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026: Czechia as Guest of Honour

In 2026, Czechia (Czech Republic) will be the Guest of Honour at the upcoming Frankfurter Buchmesse under the motto "A Country on the Coast". Inspired by Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale", the idea invites visitors to discover Czechia as part of the great ocean of literature and marks the beginning of a year dedicated to the diversity and vitality of Czech culture. As a place of diverse perspectives, shaped by classical influences and a literary landscape that is as lively as it is modern, visitors to the 78th Frankfurter Buchmesse can look forward to a wide-ranging programme of events featuring the Guest of Honour – Czechia (Czech Republic).  ------C Ruthnaswamy, Consulting Editor

Frankfurt Book Fair 2025: Where the World Came to Read, Meet and Exchange Ideas

Every October, the world's publishing industry has a rendezvous with Frankfurt. For five days, publishers, authors, literary agents, booksellers, rights professionals, media representatives and readers from across the globe converge on the city, turning the Frankfurter Buchmesse into something far greater than a traditional book fair. It becomes a meeting place for ideas, cultures, creativity and the business of storytelling.------ Inkit Lepcha, Assistant Editor

The increasing numbers at the 77th Frankfurt Book Festival

The 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM25), held from 15 to 19 October 2025, once again demonstrated the extraordinary reach and resilience of the international book industry.

The numbers are impressive. 238,000 visitors attended the five-day event, including 118,000 trade visitors from 131 countries and 120,000 members of the general public. A total of 4,350 exhibiting companies from 93 countries participated, while more than 3,500 events filled the exhibition and conference programme.---C.Ruthnaswamy, Consulting Editor

But statistics alone do not explain the importance of Frankfurt.

Behind every number lies a meeting, a conversation, a translation, a publishing deal or a literary discovery that can carry an idea across borders. A novel can find a publisher in another country; a story can move from the printed page to an audiobook, film or television screen; and an unknown author can suddenly reach readers around the world.

This is the real significance of the Frankfurt Book Fair. It is simultaneously a global marketplace for books and intellectual property, an international rights centre, a cultural festival and a forum shaping the future of publishing.

The 2025 edition reflected this changing landscape, with discussions spanning artificial intelligence, Asian markets, scientific publishing, education, innovation, book-to-screen adaptations, comics, games, audiobooks, and podcasts.

The Philippines, as Guest of Honour, brought more than 100 authors and illustrators and over 68 new German-language publications to the international stage.

Sustainability and accessibility also remained important priorities, from 100 per cent green electricity and extensive recycling to quiet rooms, priority seating, sign-language, and Braille support.

In Frankfurt, the book remains the starting point—but its journey no longer ends on the printed page.

Jose Fernandes Editor, CRuthnaswamy Consulting Editor & Inkit Lepcha, Assistant Editor

As the global duty-free and travel retail industry prepares to gather once again in Cannes, France, the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 is set to bring together some of the most important names in the international travel retail business. Scheduled from 27 September to 1 October 2026, the event will be held under the theme "Shaping the World of Travel Retail" at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes and is expected to attract leading brands, retailers, transport operators, border stores and business partners from across the world.

The annual gathering in Cannes has become an important meeting point for the industry, providing an opportunity not only to showcase new products and brands but also to discuss the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of travel retail. This year's programme will combine exhibition, conference, and networking, creating a platform for business, dialogue, and exchange of ideas.

Leading Brands and Newcomers

The exhibition floor will feature an impressive line-up of some of the world's leading travel retail brands. Among those participating are Campari, BVLGARI, Clarins Group, CHANEL, Ferrero and Longchamp, representing the strength and diversity of the international travel retail sector.

At the same time, Cannes will welcome a number of new exhibitors making their debut at the event. These include Crocs, LOEWE, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Eau Thermale Avène, Bioderma, Anua, Molinari, Atyab Al Marshoud and A L'OLIVIER.

The presence of both established international names and new entrants reflects the increasingly diverse character of the travel retail business. Beauty and fragrance, fashion, gourmet food, wines and spirits and other premium consumer categories will all be represented on the exhibition floor.

For participating companies, TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is much more than a showcase. It provides an opportunity to meet retailers and business partners, strengthen existing relationships and explore new markets at a time when the travel retail industry continues to evolve rapidly.

TFWA member exhibitors also have an opportunity to increase their visibility through Brand Pages, which are now accessible directly through the Exhibitors and Members sections of the official TFWA website. Members are encouraged to create or update their Brand Pages so that visitors can discover their brands before, during and after the Cannes event.

Conference Line-up

The conference programme will provide another important dimension to this year's gathering.

The TFWA World Conference will open the event on Monday, 28 September, from 09:00 to 11:45 in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals. In keeping with the overall theme, "Shaping the World of Travel Retail", the conference will examine some of the key forces influencing the future direction of the industry.

TFWA President Sarah Branquinho will open the conference with her state-of-the-industry address. She will be joined by David McWilliams, Gilles Roucolle and Charles Duhigg, who will bring different perspectives to the issues and developments influencing the wider travel retail landscape.

The conference will be moderated by Stephen Sackur, adding an international broadcast and current-affairs perspective to the discussions.

With a strong combination of established global brands, new exhibitors, industry leaders and an international conference programme, TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 promises to once again make Cannes the meeting place for the global duty-free and travel retail community.

The event will therefore be closely watched not only for the business opportunities it creates, but also for the insights it provides into where the travel retail industry is heading in the years ahead.

Premiumisation as the Primary Growth Engine

India’s alcoholic beverage sector is pivoting decisively toward premium and prestige segments. Pernod Ricard India continues to lead in whisky with brands like Blenders Pride, supported by strong cultural marketing and celebrity endorsements.

Allied Blenders & Distillers is accelerating its premium push through the ABD Maestro platform, backed by actor Ranveer Singh. The portfolio—including Yelo whisky, Zoya and Pumori gins, and Rangeela vodka—targets consumers shifting from mass to higher-margin products. ABD Maestro has already crossed ₹40 crore in annualized revenue and is targeting ₹100 crore by FY26.

Input cost pressures persist, with the Brewers Association of India noting ~20% rises in glass bottle costs, doubled paper carton prices and upward trends in aluminium cans. These pressures make premiumisation essential for sustaining margins. For duty-free operators, the Indian outbound traveller is increasingly brand-aware, open to experimentation (gin, craft spirits, premium whisky) and responsive to storytelling and exclusivity.

Policy Tailwinds: India–EU Trade Agreement Unlocks Premium Wine

The India–EU Free Trade Agreement (signed in early 2026) marks a major inflection for wine. Import tariffs on EU wines will fall from 150% initially to 75%, with phased reductions to 20% for premium wines and 30% for mid-range wines.

This will expand access to global labels, boost consumer familiarity and support price harmonisation. While challenging for domestic players like Sula Vineyards, it creates opportunities in travel retail to position duty-free as a discovery platform, leverage transitional price advantages and target emerging wine consumers-particularly urban women, where wine remains one of the fastest-growing alcohol categories (currently ~2% of total consumption).

Companies to Correct Brand Labels

The Indian food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has flagged Diageo and several other major liquor companies in India. The point of contention was that several liquor companies, like Diageo, who have been selling whiskey- and rum-flavored spirits as rum and whiskey. The decision of the FSSAI is bound to have an overall affect on India's whiskey and rum market, which sells about 432 million cases a year (1.73 billion liters of alcohol). This has placed leading producers, like Diageo and McDowell in a fix, as it is not possible to mature molasses used in rum and whisky within a short time span. Secondly, if the spirit content is eliminated it would increase the price of liquor. The FSSAI has agreed to extend the implementation of the ruling by 90 days. It remains to be seen how the two liquor majors come up to expectations.

United Breweries Pushes for Premium Expansion

United Breweries Ltd (UBL), owned by Heineken, has brands like Heineken, Heineken Silver, Ultra, and Ultra Max which are premium brands being promoted aggressively over and above its Indian brands like Kingfisher Premium, Kingfisher Strong, and Amstel.

Even though at present Heineken Silver, Ultra, and Ultra Max account for 10% of sales, the company is confident that the sales of its premium beer will increase to 20% in a couple of years. Its confidence is based on the fact that the beer market is 450 million cases a year and growing, and another plus factor is UBL has 50% of the beer market in India. With new consumers reaching the age of consent, the company expects the growth to be larger in the future.

UBL would like to push for higher sales in ecologically friendly returnable bottles that can be reused unlike cans, even though in large states like Uttar Pradesh (population ~244 million), cans account for 75% of sales due to consumer preference. The crisis in West Asia has raised the price of cans and supply is restricted because of imports.

The Structural Backbone

India’s aviation sector underpins travel retail growth despite near-term headwinds. InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) has expanded significantly under former CEO Pieter Elbers: domestic destinations from 78 to 96, international from 26 to 44, with a large fleet order pipeline. Co-founder Rahul Bhatia has taken interim leadership following Elbers’ resignation amid operational challenges and geopolitical airspace issues.

Infrastructure is also accelerating. Adani Airport Holdings is ramping up Navi Mumbai International Airport, with domestic operations underway and international services expected in Q1 FY27 (subject to night operations approvals). Incentives such as parking fee waivers for foreign carriers aim to rapidly scale traffic.

Travel retail impact: Higher passenger throughput, new retail footprints and increased competition for concessions.

Indian Airlines Lose Market Share to Foreign Carriers

In the first 6 months surveyed this year, Indian airlines operating international routes (IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa, and SpiceJet) have seen a fall of more than 6% year-on-year in passenger traffic. Conversely, foreign-based carriers now command over 60% of international traffic originating from India, led by major carriers including Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad. The share of Indian airlines is less than 30%, whereas foreign carriers hold over 60% of the market, underscoring the strong role of foreign hubs and international duty-free channels for outbound Indian travellers.