Travelex has launched more than 20 new bureaux and partnerships across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Brazil as international aviation continue to rebound post-pandemic.
Travelex has opened eight new stores in the APAC region in 2023, including a new retail store at Penang International Airport. The bureau, which is Travelex’s very first retail store in the North of Malaysia (Penang), brings the total number of stores in Malaysia to eight, with two further stores – including an on-the-move kiosk – set to be launched in the coming months.
In Australia, Travelex has opened new bureaux in Brisbane, located at the historic Anzac Square Arcade in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD, and in Mandurah, Western Australia. In New Zealand Travelex has also opened new stores in Albany and Nelson. Furthermore, Travelex has signed a partnership with Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) which has seen BNZ refer all its travel money services to Travelex.
New Travelex spot in Brisbane (Supplied)
In China, Travelex has opened two new stores at Chongqing Airport (one at arrivals and one at departures), whilst at Sendai Airport in Japan Travelex has opened a new landside store, its 73rd location in the country.
At Hong Kong International Airport, Travelex has also extended its contract to operate its eight bureaux across arrivals, departures and transit areas (both airside and landside) by a further three years.
In Europe, two new bureaux have opened at Frankfurt Airport (both landside) and two at Schiphol Airport (one landside and one airside), with all four new bureaux also offering FX ATM services. The new stores mean Travelex now operates nine sites at Schiphol Airport and 15 at Frankfurt Airport in total.
New Travelex spot in Frankfurt (Supplied)
In the UK, Travelex’s ATM click & collect service has been expanded following a pilot at Heathrow Terminal 5: 54 click & collect ATMs across all four operational Heathrow terminals are now live, plus a further 24 at Manchester Airport and seven at Birmingham Airport, allowing customers to pre-order their cash for collection via the ATM before they fly.
In Brazil, Travelex has opened seven new bureaux, including four in São Paulo, one in Rio de Janeiro, one in Minas Gerais and one in Santa Catarina. Travelex has also announced a partnership with CCR Aeroportos, one of Brazil’s largest airport operators, and has plans to open stores at three more airports (Navegantes, in Santa Catarina, Goiânia and Curitiba), taking the total number stores across Brazil to more than 120.
In the Middle East, Travelex has launched a new bureau at Dubai International Airport. The new store, located at airside departures, is focused on serving FX and Vat Refund customers, and means Travelex now has 31 stores at DXB and 52 in the UAE in total, as well as 26 ATMs.
New Travelex spot in Dubai (Supplied)
Travelex has also launched a new On The Move kiosk at Muscat Airport, serving customers using either of the airport’s two premium lounges, as well as guests at the airport hotel. This new mobile store is one of two new expansions at the airport, with a pre-immigration store planned to open later this year.
“We’re delighted to have hit the ground running in 2023, including the launch of more than 20 new stores across four continents,” Richard Wazacz, Travelex CEO, said.
“With international travel returning more quickly than anticipated, we are fully focussed on simplifying our customers’ access to international money however and whenever. These new stores and partnerships, plus the expansion of ATM click-and-collect across the UK, will play an important role on that journey.”
The new bureaux openings come as the latest IATA passenger figures show that international aviation passenger traffic worldwide is now at 81.6% of March 2019 levels.