Left: Beste Ermaner, Vice President, Philip Morris International Duty Free. Right: IQOS Iluma i.

Philip Morris International (PMI) Duty Free is returning to the 2024 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes (29 September to 3 October) as an exhibitor following an eight-year break.

The company aims to highlight its acceleration towards achieving a smoke-free future, with the PMI team located on the Synthesis 66 yacht in the Harbour Village.

“I am very excited to announce the return of PMI Duty Free to Cannes this year for the TFWA World Exhibition,” said Beste Ermaner, Vice President, Philip Morris International Duty Free.

“The time is right for our return since we now have a multi-category portfolio of science-based smoke-free products and this year also marks the 10-year anniversary of IQOS.

“As always, this will be a vital opportunity for us to meet retail partners and stakeholders, showcase our multi-category portfolio of smoke-free products and to further strengthen our collaboration to bring the growth and success of PMI in travel retail to next level together.”

Alternatives to cigarettes are growing in importance across duty free markets, says PMI, as legal-age consumers ‘continue to seek out better alternatives to continued smoking’.

Left: ZYN Nicotine Pouches Cool Mint. Right: VEEV Now.

PMI aims to create ‘more options and opportunities’ for adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, to switch to smoke-free alternatives.

The company has invested $12.5 billion in this ambition since 2008, with a goal to completely end the sale of cigarettes.

The duty free channel is seen as a key platform for raising awareness of the alternatives that are available.

To that end, PMI launched its latest innovation, IQOS Iluma i, in Japan Duty Free earlier this year, building on multiple previous generations of IQOS tobacco heating system products.

PMI has also expanded its multi-category portfolio with Veev Now, a pocket-sized e-vapor device, in duty free in the Middle East and Africa, as well as with ZYN nicotine pouches in additional duty free markets.

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