Aelia Duty Free inaugurated its first eco-responsible store at Geneva Airport earlier this year.

Paris-headquartered Lagardère Travel Retail has released a video to commemorate 170 years of service [click below].

The company specialising in Travel Essentials, Duty Free & Fashion and Foodservice across airports, railway stations and other concessions, opened its first bookstore Louis Hachette in Paris Gare de Lyon in 1852.

It has since grown its reach to more than 40 markets and 5,000 retail, convenience and F&B outlets worldwide and employs 20,000 colleagues.

In a statement, Lagardère Travel Retail points to its strength in overcoming adversity during its history, strong foundations and a long-standing strategic focus equipping it for success in today’s competitive business environment.

It references an ability to devise bespoke partnerships adaptable to individual needs; prioritising unique, local travel locations; its decentralised organisational structure to maximise growth; and ambition to lead the industry in sustainability.

“At a time when travel and travellers are changing, and market dynamics are shifting, we look forward to building on our vast experience to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities and to serving the needs of partners and travellers for many more years,” read the statement. “We are also on a journey to contribute to making travel more responsible, and to deliver world-class customer experiences.”

Dag Rasmussen, Chairman & CEO, Lagardère Travel Retail, said: “I feel very privileged to be celebrating this historic milestone with our 20,000 colleagues globally. Our incredibly rich and diverse history is difficult to sum up but I believe our sense of purpose and the passion we have to serve our customers have been immutable forces all along.

“Lagardère Travel Retail’s journey has been one of change, and improvement. Every challenge we have faced, every market shift we have responded to, has been an opportunity for us to learn and grow. I hope all our people and partners can join us in celebrating quite a unique moment and share this sense of excitement to continue this journey with us.”