TFWA World Exhibition 2026 Recap: A Steady Show, Cannes Locked In, and AI's Conversion Gap

September 27 - October 1, 2026 | Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France | 483 exhibitors on TFWA's official 2026 exhibitor list, 54 of them flagged as new | Total visitor count not yet published by TFWA (2025: 7,999 visitors, 482 exhibitors) | Cannes confirmed as host from 2027 for at least three more years | New TFWA Management Committee and Board for 2026-2028 | Next: TFWA Asia Pacific, May 9-13, 2027, Singapore; Cannes, autumn 2027, dates to be announced

TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 closed in Cannes on Thursday, October 1, and on the evidence published so far it was a near copy of the record 2025 edition. TFWA's official exhibitor list shows 483 exhibitors, against the 482 exhibiting brand-owners it reported for 2025. Its post-show breakdowns of visitors by region and by job type, and of exhibitors by product sector, are within one or two percentage points of last year on every line.

What TFWA has not yet published is the headline: a total visitor count for 2026. The organizer's "Headline Numbers for 2026" page, posted on October 2, gives percentage shares only. In 2025 the equivalent page opened with the total, 7,999 visitors, a record. Until TFWA publishes the 2026 figure, there is no basis to say attendance rose or fell, and this recap does not.

The more useful story for exhibitors happened around the show. TFWA signed a new agreement that keeps the event in Cannes from 2027, its members elected a new Management Committee and Board, and the conference program kept returning to one commercial problem: passengers who do not become shoppers. The sharpest figure came from Kearney, whose TFWA study found that most travelers who research purchases with AI or social media then walk past the shop.

If you are new to the event, our TFWA World Exhibition 2026 exhibitor guide explains how the villages, the buyer audience and the stand costs work.

The Same Show, Line by Line

The comparisons below use TFWA's own charts for the two editions: the 2026 headline numbers page and the 2025 equivalent. Both give percentages, so they show the shape of the audience, not its size.

Visitors by region. Europe made up 56% of visitors in 2026, against 57% in 2025. Asia was 16% (17%), the Middle East 12% (11%), the Americas 11% (10%), Africa 4% (4%) and Oceania 1% (1%).

Visitors by activity. Duty free and travel retail operators were 33% of visitors in both years. Agents and distributors were 32% in both years. Other trade visitors and guests were 19% (20%), suppliers and brands 7% (7%), landlords 5% (5%), and press and media 4% (3%).

That operator-plus-landlord share is the closest published proxy for the buyer side of the room. It held at 38%. In 2025, TFWA put that group at 3,032 retailers and landlords. A 2026 headcount for the same group will only be possible once the total is out.

Leading visitor countries. France, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were the top three in 2026, followed by Germany, the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and South Korea. The percentages TFWA attaches to its top-ten chart add up to 100% across those ten countries, so they appear to describe shares within the top ten rather than of all visitors, and we have not used them here.

Exhibitors by product sector. Perfumes and cosmetics were 35% of exhibitors (34% in 2025), wine, spirits, beers and non-alcoholic beverages 25% (26%), confectionery, fine food and food supplements 14% (13%), fashion, accessories, sunglasses and luggage 12% (13%), jewelry, watches and writing instruments 5% (5%), tobacco 4% (3%), electronics and travel accessories 4% (3%), and gifts, toys, souvenirs and home 3% (3%). TFWA publishes these shares as rounded whole numbers, which is why the 2026 sector shares add up to 102%.

None of these moves is larger than one percentage point, which is within the rounding. They show no material shift in where visitors came from, what they do or which sectors exhibited. They say nothing yet about the size of the audience.

The Official Exhibitor List and Its New Names

The official 2026 exhibitor list showed 483 entries when we checked on October 5. The same list for 2025 shows 482, which matches the exhibitor total TFWA announced last year, so the two lists appear to be counted the same way. TFWA has not yet announced an official 2026 exhibitor total, so treat 483 as the list count rather than a final figure.

The 2026 list flags 54 exhibitors as new. The 2025 list no longer carries that flag, so there is no like-for-like comparison of newcomers.

TFWA's August preview named some of the debut exhibitors: Crocs, LOEWE, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Eau Thermale Avène, Bioderma, Anua, Molinari, Atyab Al Marshoud and A L'OLIVIER. Returning names it highlighted included Campari, BVLGARI, Clarins Group, CHANEL, Ferrero and Longchamp.

The list also shows how spread out the show is, which is why the village on a stand allocation matters as much as its size. Stands were allocated across the Green, Blue, Yellow, Red and Bay villages at and around the Palais des Festivals, plus the Ambassadeurs, Beach and Marine villages, the Riviera Village and the Harbour Village in the old port.

Cannes Is Secured From 2027

On Monday, September 28, TFWA President Sarah Branquinho and Nicolas Gorjux, President of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes (SEMEC), signed a renewed partnership that keeps the show in the city.

Branquinho said the agreement confirms "Cannes as the host city for TFWA World Exhibition & Conference from 2027 for at least three further years." TFWA says the event will return to the Palais des Festivals in autumn 2027 and will announce further details later.

For exhibitors, this settles the city for the next few editions, so hotel and travel planning for Cannes can start early. The agreement does not say anything about stand allocation, village layout or prices, and TFWA has so far confirmed the Palais des Festivals only for 2027.

A New Board and a New Managing Director

TFWA is a member association run by the brands that exhibit, and 2026 was an election year. Members elected a new Management Committee for 2026-2028 on September 30, with representatives from 40 companies across the eight product sectors, including Chanel, Estée Lauder Companies, L'Oréal, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, Hermès, Lindt & Sprüngli, the LEGO Group, JTI and Philip Morris.

The committee then elected the Board on October 1. Jean-Pierre Bombet (Spa Development / Be Relax) is Vice-President Finance, Priscilla Haibe de Walque (Payot) Vice-President Corporate, Irene Giatra (Estée Lauder Companies) Vice-President Commercial, Alessio Crivelli (EssilorLuxottica) Vice-President Marketing, and Sam Gerber (WorldConnect) Vice-President Conference & Research. Haibe de Walque and Giatra are newly elected. Erin Lillis of Lacoste and Loukia Alepochoriti of Imperial Brands did not stand for re-election.

The show also had a new managing director. TFWA appointed Charlène Tourneaux, previously a senior executive at Brown-Forman, as Managing Director from July 15, 2026, replacing Franck Waechter. Cannes 2026 was her first edition in the role, and the first under Branquinho as President; TFWA's 2025 closing release quoted Philippe Margueritte as President.

TFWA has not announced any change to exhibitor applications, fees, allocation rules or format under the new leadership. Those are the 2027 details to watch for when TFWA publishes the next edition's information.

The Conference: Turning Passengers Into Shoppers

The TFWA World Conference opened the week on Monday, September 28, under the theme "Shaping the World of Travel Retail," with Branquinho's state of the industry address, economist David McWilliams, Oliver Wyman's Gilles Roucolle and author Charles Duhigg, moderated by Stephen Sackur.

According to GTR Magazine's report of the session, Branquinho told delegates that "retail revenue per passenger has fallen more than 20% since before Covid." That is a secondary account of a speech, and TFWA has not published the text, but it frames the week: the pressure is on spend per passenger, not only on passenger numbers.

Two sets of research then came at that problem from the consumer side. They used different samples and methods, so they are not one dataset.

Oliver Wyman. On the conference stage, Roucolle presented Oliver Wyman research that, as reported by TRBusiness, drew on around 300,000 consumer interviews and found that 62% of consumers say they will use AI for product recommendations. He also cited Oliver Wyman findings that digital identity technology can cut security waiting times by 60% and boarding times by 30%, which would leave travelers more time in the terminal. Separately, Oliver Wyman presented an exclusive TFWA study on customer growth at a workshop on September 29; we have not seen its findings published.

Kearney. On September 30, Kearney presented its exclusive TFWA study, "The connected traveler: how AI turns data into travel retail growth," based on a survey of 800 international travelers, 20 executive interviews and more than 100 industry benchmarks. According to the Moodie Davitt Report's account, 68% of travelers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying on their last trip, but 64% of those who researched travel retail that way then walked past airport stores without buying. Separately, 49% of respondents questioned whether airport prices were sufficiently attractive. The report as described does not link the two figures.

Both are commercial research presented at a TFWA event. The figures above come from trade press accounts, not the full reports, so the questionnaire wording, country mix and weighting are not available to check. Treat them as indicators, not market measurements.

What It Means for Exhibitors

Plan around a stable audience. Two editions of TFWA's own breakdowns show the same buyer mix: about a third operators, a third agents and distributors, and 5% landlords, with Europe providing a little over half of visitors. If Cannes worked for your category in 2025, the room in 2026 had the same composition.

Wait for the total before updating a business case. The 2025 record of 7,999 visitors is the last published total. Do not assume 2026 matched or beat it until TFWA says so.

Plan travel for Cannes in 2027. The city is confirmed from 2027 for at least three years, and the Palais for 2027. Stand allocation is a separate matter: ask TFWA about 2027 application and rebooking deadlines and whether your current village position carries over.

Bring a conversion story, not just a launch. Kearney's study for TFWA found that most travelers who researched with AI or social media walked past the store, and that 49% questioned airport prices. Brands that can show operators how a range converts, through pricing, travel exclusives or in-store activation, are speaking to the problem the organizer itself put on stage.

Check the 2027 announcements before committing. The association has a new Management Committee, Board and Managing Director. When TFWA publishes the 2027 details, look for the dates, the application timeline, the fee schedule and any change to the village format before signing.

By the Numbers

• 483 exhibitors on TFWA's official 2026 exhibitor list when checked on October 5; 2025: 482 (official total). The 2026 official total has not been announced.
• 54 exhibitors flagged as new on the 2026 list
• Visitor total: not yet published for 2026; 2025: 7,999, a record
• 38% of 2026 visitors were operators (33%) or landlords (5%), the same as 2025
• 32% agents and distributors, unchanged
• 56% of visitors from Europe (57% in 2025), 16% Asia (17%), 12% Middle East (11%), 11% Americas (10%)
• 35% of exhibitors in perfumes and cosmetics (34%), 25% in wine, spirits and beverages (26%); TFWA's shares are rounded
• At least three more years of Cannes as host from 2027, under the renewed SEMEC agreement
• 40 companies represented on the new 2026-2028 Management Committee
• 62% of consumers say they will use AI for product recommendations (Oliver Wyman, as reported)
• 64% of travelers who researched travel retail with AI or social media then walked past airport stores without buying (Kearney, as reported)

When Is the Next TFWA World Exhibition?

TFWA says the World Exhibition & Conference will return to the Palais des Festivals in Cannes in autumn 2027 and will announce further details in due course. It has not published the 2027 dates yet; confirm them on tfwa.com before booking.

Before then, the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference runs May 9-13, 2027, in Singapore, according to TFWA's event page. For how the two TFWA shows compare, see the World vs Asia Pacific section of our TFWA World Exhibition 2026 exhibitor guide. The Palais des Festivals also hosts Cannes Lions each June; our Cannes Lions 2026 recap covers that event.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was TFWA World Exhibition 2026 held? TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 ran from Sunday, September 27 to Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France, with additional exhibition space in the Riviera Village and in the Harbour Village in the old port. The TFWA World Conference opened the week on Monday, September 28.

How many people attended TFWA World Exhibition 2026? TFWA had not published a total visitor count for 2026 as of October 5, 2026. Its post-show figures give percentage breakdowns only. The 2025 edition drew a record 7,999 visitors, including 3,032 retailers and landlords.

How many exhibitors were at TFWA World Exhibition 2026? TFWA's official 2026 exhibitor list showed 483 exhibitors when checked on October 5, 2026, 54 of them flagged as new. In 2025, TFWA reported 482 exhibiting brand-owners. TFWA has not yet announced an official 2026 exhibitor total.

Who visits TFWA World Exhibition? According to TFWA's 2026 breakdown, 33% of visitors were duty free and travel retail operators, 32% agents and distributors, 19% other trade visitors and guests, 7% suppliers and brands, 5% landlords and 4% press and media. Europe accounted for 56% of visitors, Asia 16%, the Middle East 12% and the Americas 11%.

What was new at TFWA World Exhibition 2026? TFWA renewed its agreement to hold the event in Cannes from 2027 for at least three more years, elected a new Management Committee and Board for 2026-2028, and held its first Cannes edition under President Sarah Branquinho and Managing Director Charlène Tourneaux. Debut exhibitors named by TFWA included Crocs, LOEWE, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Bioderma and Anua.

What were the main themes at TFWA World Exhibition 2026? The conference theme was "Shaping the World of Travel Retail." Research presented by Oliver Wyman and Kearney, including Kearney's study for TFWA, focused on how travelers use AI and social media to research purchases, and on the gap between that research and buying in airport stores.

Will TFWA World Exhibition stay in Cannes? Yes. On September 28, 2026, TFWA and SEMEC, which runs the Palais des Festivals, signed a renewed partnership confirming Cannes as host city from 2027 for at least three further years.

When is the next TFWA World Exhibition? TFWA says the next World Exhibition & Conference will be held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes in autumn 2027, with dates to be announced. TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference runs May 9-13, 2027, in Singapore.