Page 30 - TFWA World Exhibit 2024 Special Edition

INSIDER

FDFA: 40 years of working and growing together

Canada’s Frontier Duty Free shops, including 32 land border and 20 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto,
Association is celebrating its 40th airport locations. Land border shops Ontario.
anniversary in 2024. are locally owned and operated private FDFA says that its goal is to inspire
In 1982, the first duty free store was businesses licensed to sell goods free of current and prospective members to work
opened in Emerson, Manitoba by the Resch certain Canadian duties and taxes normally together as it has for over four decades.
family. By 1984, a number of other stores applied, since all sales are deemed to be “Our goal this year, as we celebrate
had opened across Canada (ie. Windsor, exports from Canada. the 40th anniversary of the association,
Sarnia) and as a collective, they decided to The land border shops promote many is to focus on thriving and building our
found an Association to work together to Canadian-made quality products and industry,” said Barrett. “Our theme,
grow and improve the land border duty free deliberately foster a distinctly Canadian ‘Growing Together,’ reflects our
industry through networking and advocacy. flavor or ambiance in their stores as well commitment to position Canada as a
“Forty years later the Frontier Duty as offering high quality internationally global leader in the duty free sector and
Free Association continues to work for recognized brands. highlighting the industry’s integral role in
industry growth,” comments Executive To mark the FDFA’s anniversary, the the expanding tourism sector in Canada.”
Director Barbara Barrett. theme for this year’s FDFA 2024 annual TMI joins in celebrating this important
Canada’s Duty Free shops are unique convention is Celebrating 40 Years of milestone by introducing some key FDFA
retailers licensed by the federal government Growing Together. The convention is member operators.
of Canada. There are currently 52 licensed taking place from November 18 – 21, 2024

Memories from the FDFA Conventions from 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2017.

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