Opening keynote with Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer, Qatar Airways

Africa’s travel and tourism sector is entering an exciting new chapter. Investments in infrastructure, expanding air connectivity and a growing appetite for intra-African travel are reshaping the continent’s visitor economy, while evolving consumer markets are creating fresh opportunities for the travel retail industry.

The session will feature Sountou Bousso, CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail Africa; Naledi Khabo, President, Africa Tourism Association; and Ali Tounsi, Secretary General, ACI Africa, who will explore the trends driving growth across the continent, the innovations transforming the traveler experience, and the partnerships that will shape the next phase of development. Where are the greatest opportunities emerging, and what will define success for Africa’s travel ecosystem in the years ahead?

For decades, airports enjoyed a unique advantage: access to a captive audience. Today, that advantage is being challenged.  Shopping malls, lifestyle destinations and digital-first brands are reinventing the consumer experience through entertainment, personalisation and social engagement.

Are they setting a new benchmark for retail?  And if so, what lessons should travel retail be learning? This session explores how consumer expectations are changing—and whether travel retail is evolving fast enough to keep pace.

Sustainability is no longer a differentiator. It is becoming an expectation.  Travellers, regulators and investors increasingly expect measurable action rather than ambitious promises. But what does meaningful progress actually look like in travel retail?

Dr Munif Mohammed, Head of the MEADFA Sustainability Committee and CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail Middle East, will provide an update on the progress of the MEADFA Sustainability Charter and share how Lagardère Travel Retail Middle East is advancing its own sustainability agenda. Joining him, Saskia Möller, Director Legal, Compliance & Sustainability, Gebr. Heinemann, will offer insights into Gebr. Heinemann’s sustainability journey, highlighting the practical steps, challenges and lessons learned along the way.

Everyone is talking about AI. Few truly understand what it means for their business.

In this closing keynote, Professor Hajar Mousannif, a leading expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning, separates reality from hype and explores how organisations are using AI to improve decision-making, efficiency and customer engagement. As AI increasingly influences how people search, shop and travel, what opportunities—and challenges—could lie ahead for travel retail?