MEADFA advocates for financial support and retailer rent relief during unprecedented times
The Middle East and Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) will engage its full advocacy capacities with the government to ensure the travel retail industry will receive financial support and retailers will receive rent relief.
“First, it is critical to ensure that countries in Africa and the Middle East understand that travel retail must be included in every financial support plan to safeguard transport and tourism,” shared the MEADFA Board.
“Second, it is also key that retailers are supported by the whole industry vis a vis landlords. There is a key need for a rent relief strategy for landlords to support their retailers during these unprecedented times. Therefore, MEADFA will as a priority engages wherever it is necessary to protect the industry and support the members.”
MEADFA highlights that governments need to understand that travel retail in Africa and the Middle East is a key economic player and employ more than 70,000 persons.
“Beyond the immediate crisis period, we anticipate that the recovery of the travel and tourism sector will take time, as airlines and tour operators gradually build capacity in the system. Summer 2020 airline bookings will be dramatically below 2019 and previous years, and winter capacity for 2020/2021 will probably be much lower as airlines take a cautious view of the market,” stated MEADFA.
MEADFA continued to underscore its sector as a “systemic importance for aviation, maritime trade and tourism because commercial revenues are absolutely critical to the financial and economic well-being of transport and tourism infrastructures.”
MEADFA pledges to use every means of digital communication available to engage properly with political and administrative authorities.
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