Shisha and hookah tobacco company Al Fakher has expressed its pride at becoming the first shisha company to sell in European travel retail.

Over the past few months, Al Fakher has introduced its flavours into 12 new airports and is proud of the development it has achieved with the support of its partner operators.

Ziad Jabre, Head of Global Travel Retail, Al Fakher told TRBusiness: “One development I take special pride in is Al Fakher becoming the first shisha company to be sold in European travel retail.

“By the end of August, travellers will be able to find their brand of choice in both Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle and Orly) and airports in Nice and Marseille.”

EVOLVING INTO EUROPE

He added: “We are very proud of this step and of the trust our partner Lagardère has placed in us as the global category leader.”

Assessing the evolution of the company’s duty free and travel retail business, Jabre says the category continues to experience double-digit growth this year and expects this to continue in the coming years. “We have started noticing a change in the perception that some operators had, which was the category was purely a Middle Eastern one.

“They have begun to understand that our products are widely enjoyed globally, transcending borders and geography.”

Al Fakher, which will be exhibiting at TFWA Cannes for the first time (Bay Terrace T-12), says innovation has and always will remain key for the company. “For any company that wants to be part of this channel to be consumer centric and to put forward products which might appeal to shoppers because they are not normally available.”

Looking ahead, Jabre told TRBusiness that Al Fakher plans to continue expanding global distribution to ensure travellers have the opportunity to purchase their shisha brand of choice wherever they are.

See the September issue of TRBusiness for an in-depth shisha report.