The Hindu Business Line : Bengaluru airport shopping festival hits a high

The outlets at the airport registered a 6 per cent increase in spending per passenger, BIAL, the operator of Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), said, as the first BIA annual festival drew to a close on Monday.

The last four weeks turned the airport into an exciting getaway for Bangalore’s residents, apart from those travelling, BIAL said.

Food and beverage promotions trumped among successful promotions and included innovative combination offers, discounts and freebies.

The kebab platters at the Kingfisher sports bar and the complementary pani puri at Gangotree were the biggest hits. The Mysore Silks, handicrafts and leather products of LIDKAR — all put up by State-owned corporations — were a big draw.

On popular demand, the airport had to convert weekly cultural performances into daily shows in the second week.

Prizes galore

Forty people won prizes that ranged from luxurious free holidays onboard the Golden Chariot, free getaways to exotic spots, free two-way air trips courtesy co-sponsor Jet Airways. Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation is another sponsor of the event.

BIA’s domestic and international terminals house outlets of Shoppers Stop, Carbon, LaModa, Ethos, Crossword and Odyssey, Illy Café, Barista, Café Coffee Day, among others.

Mr Sebastian Stanley, a passenger, won the grand prize at the finale: a package onboard the Golden Chariot for seven nights and eight days.

The luxury train to heritage locations in Karnataka is jointly run by the KSTDC.

Prize-winners were declared on a daily and weekly basis. BIAL officials picked the grand prize winner in front of the Golden Chariot replica kept at the airport terminal.

“The per-passenger spend went up marginally by 6 per cent, [but] the important fact to note is the sheer participation volumes,” said BIAL’s CEO, Mr Marcel Hungerbuehler.

“We see the Bengaluru International Airport Shopping Festival as a good start. It is a new experience for the passenger at an Indian airport and we have set the pace for an exciting retail environment for times to come. Working with sponsors such as KSTDC and Jet Airways has only been the start of our collaborations.”

Mr Girish Nair, Jet Airways’ Area General Manager (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh), said, “This was the first airport shopping festival where we participated as a brand and we are committed to creating many more unique customer experiences through our airport partners.”

He said, “It was a great learning experience for Jet Airways and [an] opportunity to add value to our customers through airport shopping festival — which will become a critical component of airport services in the future.”

The event opened up a new way to promote the southern region within the country and abroad, Mr K. Viswanatha Reddy, Director, Department of Tourism, said.

“Through this event, Karnataka Tourism has been able to effectively showcase [its] products. We look forward to many more such ventures.”