In Q3, international pax departures totalled 634 million, exceeding 2019 levels by +12%.

The latest DFWC KPI Monitor reveals a robust recovery across international air traffic and global travel retail, with passenger volumes surging past 2019 benchmarks and shoppers showing renewed engagement.

The DFWC KPI Monitor, which is produced exclusively for the Council by travel and travel retail research agency m1nd-set, shows that in Q3 2025, international passenger departures reached 634 million, eclipsing 2019 volumes by +12%.

Based on international traffic data provided by IATA exclusively to m1nd-set through B1S, the Monitor confirms that the Middle East and Africa region reported the most robust growth, at +122% above the same period in 2019, with 74 million international departures (including both connecting and non-connecting passengers).

DFWC research shows growth across global regions

Growth is broadly consistent across most regions. North America (+121%), South America (+118%) and Europe (+113%) posted similarly impressive results, while Asia Pacific (+102%) has now surpassed its pre-Covid volumes.

The rankings for the top ten international airports, which remain the same as the previous quarter but with a slight reshuffle in the order, underline the strategic importance of major European and Middle Eastern hubs, balanced by strong performance among Asia Pacific hubs.

London Heathrow cemented its lead in the global rankings among airports with 13.8 million international departures, closely trailed by Dubai (12.6 million), Amsterdam Schiphol (11.5 million), Paris Charles de Gaulle (11 million), and Seoul Incheon (10.6 million) completing the top five.

Singapore Changi (10.4 million) followed closely in sixth position, with Frankfurt (9.9 million), Istanbul (9 million), Hong Kong (8.8 million) and Madrid (7.4 million) rounding out the top ten.

The Monitor shows that rankings for the top ten international airports remain the same as for Q2, but with a slight reshuffle in the order.

In terms of the leading nationality rankings for international travel, the DFWC KPI Monitor reveals that the US (60.5 million) and the UK (53.1 million) led outbound travel, followed by strong departures from Germany, France, Spain and Italy. China, India, Turkey and the Netherlands completed the top 10 nationality rankings.

Turning to shopper trends, the DFWC KPI Monitor highlights growing tendencies towards more self-indulgence and spontaneous purchasing, as well as positive staff interactions and renewed engagement with digital touchpoints, thanks in part to a growing share of Gen Z among travellers and shoppers.

Duty free shopping decisions remain anchored in value and convenience. “Good value for money” (26% vs 27% in Q2) and “convenience” (22% vs 21% in Q2) stand out as the primary purchase drivers, while items that are “suitable as a self-treat” (19%) continue to gain traction, up from 17% in the previous quarter.

Barriers to purchase among duty free shoppers point to price sensitivity and indifference. Despite improvement on the previous quarter, price perception still acts as a significant barrier, with 16% of potential buyers deterred by factors such as “higher prices vs home,” (compared to 17% in Q2) and “no motivating discounts” (up from 15% in Q2).

The latest research shows that value for money and convenience remain the primary purchase drivers regarding duty free shopping decisions.

Shopper apathy is another issue, with 16% claiming they have “no intention to buy” or are “unwilling to carry more items” – also 16%.

The purpose of purchase identified in the Monitor shows a clear and consistent hierarchy, with self-indulgence dominating – up +3% to 56%, followed by gifting (23% vs 24% in Q2), sharing (16% – no move) and on request (5% down from 7% in Q2).

Impulse purchases rose from 29% to 31% between Q2 and Q3 while specific planning rose one point to 29%. The share of undecided planners fell three points to 40% across the period.

The Q3 Monitor also identifies a growing influence of digital touchpoints among shoppers with pre-trip digital engagement on the rise. The share of shoppers exposed to pre-shopping information was up from 31% to 33%, primarily through internet searches (18% vs 16% in Q2), social media (15% vs 12% in Q2), and shopping sites (12% up from 10%).

11% of shoppers searched for information on retailers’ websites, consistent with the previous quarter, while 11% also searched on travel apps, up from 9% in Q2.

The key barriers to purchase among duty free shoppers included unfavourable price perceptions and general shopper indifference.

Sales staff interactions remain highly influential in driving conversion. Over half (54%) of shoppers engaged with staff during their last visit, consistent with the share in Q2, and of those 75% reported that the interaction positively influenced their purchase, up +2% on Q2.

DFWC President Sarah Branquinho welcomed the growing engagement: “The data confirms that digital and social platforms are increasingly shaping travel retail decisions before travellers arrive at the airport, confirming the growing influence of online channels. This provides stakeholders with a clear opportunity to engage with shoppers well in advance through these media and platforms to increase footfall and conversion.”

She added: “It is also encouraging to see the enduring power of in-store interaction. The data underlines the powerful role of personal engagement and well-trained retail staff. Success in travel retail lies in mastering the blend of enhanced digital pre-engagement with a personalised, high-quality in-store experience.”

M1nd-set CEO and owner Dr. Peter Mohn commented: “The Q3 KPI Monitor reveals a significant psychological shift: the consumer in travel retail is increasingly driven by impulse and emotional reward. This is evident from the notable rise in ‘self-treat’ and spontaneous purchases.

“While digital outreach is growing, particularly among younger Gen Z shoppers, the final decision still hinges on the physical environment. The strategic imperative is clear: travel retail stakeholders need to focus on converting those digital touch point impressions into an engaging in-store experience, which delivers on the shopper’s desire for immediate reward.”

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