Writing like an angel in Haikou and heading for the stars in Singapore

by Martin Moodie |
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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.
My Hong Kong International Airport Interim Bureau is open for business at the Cathay Pacific lounge

It’s almost show time again and having crawled wearily out of bed at 5.30am this morning to ensure the website that never sleeps hadn’t nodded off, I’m all set for my Cathay Pacific Airways flight to Singapore for the TFWA Asia Pacific show.

Buy hey, you can’t work all the time, right? And who should drop in to ensure I take a break but Pernod Ricard Travel Retail Commercial Director Asia (ex-China) David Saksik?

This event is aways a highlight of the travel retail industry calendar but the 2025 edition comes amid extremely testing conditions in many Asia Pacific markets.

That challenging scenario has been considerably accentuated in recent days by the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, following the deadly 22 April attack on tourists in Pahalgam (part of Indian-administered Kashmir) that left 25 Indians dead.

That atrocity spurred India to launch a series of strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir called Operation Sindoor (a reference to the vermillion dye mark worn by Hindu women at the parting of their hair).

As I write this Blog in the Cathay Pacific lounge, the tit-for-tat attacks are continuing with accusation and counter-accusation flying as fast as the drones currently being used in assaults.

As a result, airports in both countries are on high alert.

In India, 24 airports in the northern and western regions have actually closed while Air India, IndiGo and Akasa airlines have issued nationwide travel advisory amid Pakistan tensions.

I always make time for a quick tour store of the impressively expansive Hong Kong International Airport retail offer, including the anchor stores Beauty&You, Duty Zero by cdf and Sweet Dreams by Heinemann

Time for some quick chatter with my old pal Mr Bones from Kiehl’s. In fact with those teeth, I suspect he chatters quite a lot.
I love the diversity of offer within this Sweet Dreams by Heinemann store, one of several at the airport
Although I did not have time to go the new Bacha Coffee boutique, opened in January (pictured below), I was delighted to see my favourite coffee listed at Sweet Dreams by Heinemann

Just a day earlier I had the pleasure of meeting Bacha Coffee Co-Owner Maranda Barnes over brunch at the joyfully sumptuous, newly opened Bacha Coffee restaurant at Harbour City. If you are visiting Hong Kong or live there, this, I tell you, is a must-visit. My camera has washed out the colours; I can promise you the real experience is riot of rich and vibrant hues.
If you only read one interview this year, please make it this absolutely enthralling conversation I had with Taha Bouqdib, serial entrepreneur extraordinaire and President and CEO of V3 Gourmet, the parent company of TWG Tea and Bacha Coffee (of which he is Co-Owner). Click on the image to access.
These are not easy times for wines & spirits retailing in Asian airports but Duty Zero by cdf is doing everything in its power to convert passengers into buyers with what I think is one of the region’s best offers

A nice Hong Kong-themed destination presentation from Penfolds

Travel retail’s fortunes pale into insignificance alongside the human tragedy being played out but any long-term impact on the travel and tourism sectors is precisely the last thing our industry needs right now. More on that deeply concerning subject on our main website.

As I head to one trade show, I have fond memories of another held just weeks ago – the China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo). On my way back to Hong Kong, I had the pleasure to visit the hard-working Sino-Singapore (Hainan) Airport Commercial Management Co and China Duty Free Group teams at Haikou Meilan International Airport Terminal 2.

Landside at Haikou Meilan International Airport and passengers are greeted with colourful displays of Hainanese goods
With Suzie and Ivy, my brilliant Sino-Singapore (Hainan) Airport Commercial Management Co guides for the day

After an excellent tour of the stores, I was invited to take a pre-flight coffee in the HNA Club lounge where a talented Chinese calligrapher was at work, part of a concerted effort to promote Hainanese and Chinese culture.

She kindly asked me to choose a design of my choice. Admiring the bright orange hues and the lovely shape of the lettering, I chose the item below.

“What does it mean?” I asked.

“It means ‘Write like an angel’.”

Well, how about that? I’m not sure if I do write like an angel, but I always, always, aim for the stars. So perhaps it was an appropriate choice.

All my writing this week will be done in the early and late hours as I have a busy trade show to keep me occupied during the days. I look forward to seeing all my industry friends in Singapore and making many new ones.

Look out for our team, me, Dermot, Irene Revilla, Aran Turner and Hannah Tan at the show. You can’t miss us. We will be the ones doing our best to look as well as write like angels. ✈

It’s amazing who you bump into at airports. Pictured with me are (left) newly appointed Edrington Group Managing Director Travel Retail Kasper Andersen, who succeeds Jeremy Speirs (right) in June. Jeremy, who has done such a mighty job for The Macallan brandowner, will transition to a new role as Regional Managing Director at Edrington Americas. With us is the dynamic Wilcy Wong, Commercial Director, who spent nearly two decades with DFS before joining Edrington.
So what did Jeremy’s choice of message say? Would you believe ‘health, wealth and new beginnings’?
What is a trip to China without a good glass of Baijiu? And Yanghe ‘Mengzhilan-Dream Blue’ M6 Baijiu, I assure you, is a very good Baijiu.

Plenty of Cognac on display at Haikou Meilan International Airport but until the tit-for-tat tariff crisis between China and the European Union is resolved it’s a case of buy while stocks last as retailers cannot restock