Making your organisation part of the UK Travel Retail Forum.

If you wish to join the UKTRF, please call us on +44 (0) 1444 474700, email us info@uktrf.co.uk or write to us here:

UK Travel Retail Forum
LGM House
Mill Green Road
Haywards Heath
West Sussex
RH16 1XL
United Kingdom

You can review some of the benefits of being a member of the UKTRF below.

Benefits of UK Travel Retail Forum Membership

1. The UKTRF fulfils a vital role in representing the interests of its Members to Ministers and officials, both in the UK and in the EU. There is a constant stream of new legislative proposals emanating from both Westminster and Brussels; we need to monitor all of these proposals to ensure that they will not have an adverse impact on the travel retail business - if we don't, no-one else will. Where action is needed, we have shown that we can deliver. Members benefit from the fact that the UKTRF is supported by many of the largest and most influential companies in travel retail, and the Secretary General, Barry Goddard, has over twenty years experience in lobbying and representational activity, both in the UK and in Brussels.

2. The UKTRF is the only UK trade association specifically devoted to protecting the interests of the duty-free and travel retail business. In particular, Members benefit from

• Being part of an experienced team dedicated to protecting the interests of travel retail.
• The strength of a unified industry lobby on key issues of concern.
• Help with specific problems on the application of Customs rules and regulations.
• Regular and accurate information on the status and progress of legislative issues.
• Linking into other European and world-wide organisations concerned with travel retail and duty-free.
• Networking opportunities - many of the industry's most senior and respected executives are active in UKTRF affairs.

Since its formation in 2000, UKTRF has helped to save the industry many millions of pounds.

Here's a summary of some of the achievements:

• The Excise Goods (Accompanying Documents) Regulations 2002. UKTRF persuaded HM Customs to change the wording of these regulations to exempt airlines from some of the provisions. This saved UK airlines between £2-3 million in system changes and a further £1million per annum in ongoing costs.
• The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Controls (FCTC). UKTRF played a major role in fighting off the WHO proposal for a world-wide ban on the duty-free sale of tobacco products by persuading the UK Government not to agree to a mandatory ban in the Treaty. Had the ban been implemented, UK operators alone would have lost sales in excess of £100 million per annum.
• HM Customs July 2003 Proposals to Combat Alcohol Fraud. UKTRF succeeded in persuading the Government to drop its proposal to limit the number of movements in duty suspension, which would have entailed additional costs of at least £2 million per annum for travel retail operators.
• The Duty Stamps Regulations 2005. UKTRF successfully persuaded HM Customs that travel retail outlets (export shops and RMOs) should be exempt from the Government's new Duty Stamp scheme for spirits.
• Duty-free allowances. UKTRF played a major role in helping to achieve a significant increase in the duty and tax-free allowances for passengers entering the EU. The new allowances were introduced on 1 December 2008.
• Aviation Security. UKTRF also played a significant role in helping the European Travel Retail Council to secure new arrangements to facilitate passengers' purchases of liquids and gels in the light of the strict security requirements introduced in August 2006. This is a major ongoing issue which is covered in more detail in the Aviation Security section.