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Tuesday 12 May 2026 10 T F W A D A I L Y In a compelling closing keynote to yesterday’s TFWA Asia Pacific Conference, world-renowned chef Akira Back shared an invitation to rethink travel retail not as a transaction, but as an experience – rooted in purpose, connection, and the joy of discovery. Pivoting with purpose: Lessons from the culinary world F ood has always been a universal language – and increasingly, it’s becoming a central pillar of the travel experience. World-renowned chef Akira Back closed yesterday’s TFWA Asia Pacific Conference with a powerful message for the duty free and travel retail industry: the future lies not in transactions, but in creating purposeful, memorable experiences. In his keynote session, ‘Pivoting with purpose: Lessons from the culinary world’, Chef Akira drew parallels between the evolution of world-class restaurants and the transformation now underway across airports and travel retail environments. “Great kitchens and restaurants don’t just cook; they constantly adapt, edit, and reconnect to purpose. That’s exactly where travel retail needs to go.” For the Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur, whose concepts span global destinations, successful hospitality begins not with products, but with identity and philosophy. “Successful chefs and their restaurants don’t begin with ‘what will we sell?’ We begin with what we stand for,” Chef Akira explained. He believes travel retail must become “dynamic, not static”, combining rotating concepts, local collaborations and limited- time offers while maintaining a recognisable core identity. “The best restaurants evolve, without losing what they are,” said Chef Akira. The keynote explored how principles from the culinary world – including sensory storytelling, intentional design and emotional connection – can help redefine commercial spaces within airports and travel hubs. “Food has always been a universal language,” Chef Akira shared, highlighting that dining and hospitality are becoming increasingly central to the traveller journey. He sees significant untapped potential for airports to elevate the customer experience through stronger hospitality standards, immersive environments and destination-led concepts. “I believe that the culinary experience for travellers has a lot of room for growth and can become a more personal and unique experience,” said Chef Akira, pointing to opportunities including chef residencies, themed dining concepts and food festivals inside terminals. Chef Akira also highlighted the importance of human interaction and emotional engagement in shaping future travel retail environments. “Staff act as guides and storytellers, not salespeople,” he noted. “Conversations are personalised and human.” A recurring theme throughout the session was the importance of engaging all five senses to create memorable experiences – an approach Chef Akira has long applied in his own restaurants. “Any of the five senses at any time help me create ideas for innovation and creation.” He believes the same philosophy can inspire more impactful retail concepts, through curated soundscapes, signature scents, interactive materials and sampling experiences. “A great menu is edited, intentional, and tells a story,” Chef Akira explained. “Retail should stop overwhelming customers with endless choice.” Chef Akira also addressed the growing influence of sustainability, authenticity and local sourcing on both hospitality and retail. Travellers, he emphasised, are increasingly conscious of waste, provenance and transparency, particularly in transit environments. “Where it comes from is now part of the value to customers,” he said, advocating for clearer storytelling around origin, makers and materials, alongside refill and reuse models and more sustainable store designs. Commenting on how he would redesign a travel retail space if it were a restaurant, Chef Akira returned to the importance of localisation and discovery. “Anchor stores in local culture,” he said, while also offering travellers products and experiences they “can only get here”. Ultimately, Chef Akira’s message to the industry was one of purposeful evolution, blending global consistency with local identity to create travel retail experiences rooted in connection, authenticity and the joy of discovery. Akira Back, Global restaurateur and Michelin-starred chef: “Great kitchens and restaurants don’t just cook, they constantly adapt, edit, and reconnect to purpose. That’s exactly where travel retail needs to go.”