Page 42 - European Cruise Traveller Duty & Tax Free Retail

Industry Insider:
European Cruise Duty & Tax Free Retail 2016
5 DUTY / TAX FREE AWARENESS & PERCEPTIONS
5.1 DUTY / TAX FREE SERVICE AWARENESS
Our research shows how very high Duty & Tax Free service awareness exists among European cruise travellers, with the vast majority (84%) recalling at least one Duty / Tax Free offering during their trip. Although this includes travellers aware of a service but who do not go on to browse the offering, as illustrated in the previous section, a very high proportion of those aware of a service do go on to browse a Duty & Tax Free store during their trip.
The high levels of service awareness we have found in the European region mirrors that of the other cruise regions we have researched and could be deemed to be fairly unsurprising; European cruise travellers generally travel on longer term cruises with the vast majority making at least one scheduled port call, therefore illustrating how numerous opportunities exist for the traveller to be made aware and to engage with a Duty & Tax Free offer.
However, despite very high awareness of Duty & Tax Free services overall, awareness levels decrease when assessing the on- board and on-land channels in isolation. This is particularly the case with the on-land channel, with just 2 in 5 European cruise travellers recalling an on-land Duty & Tax Free service on their last trip. However, whilst this is potentially due to stores being fairly small in some locations, it is also the case that not all cruise ports incorporate Duty & Tax Free offerings within the region.
The on-land cruise channel presents a major opportunity for Duty & Tax Free retailers in the European region, with 2014 experiencing a total of 29 million passenger visits to 250 cities. Furthermore, a high proportion of those browsing the on-land offer go on to make a purchase. Therefore, ensuring awareness of available stores should be considered key to driving sales in the channel and therefore a priority for on-land retailers going forward.
84%
Of European cruise travellers recall a Duty / Tax Free service during their trip
74% of travellers recall a Duty / Tax Free service on-
board the ship
42% of travellers recall a Duty / Tax Free service on-land
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