Travelex, the market leading foreign exchange brand, is investing in more than 75 new bureaux, kiosks and ATMs internationally as global travel continues to rebound.
In recent months, Travelex has undertaken extensive investment across the Middle East. In the UAE, Travelex has launched a series of new bureaux and On-The-Move kiosks across airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as well as the Mina Rashid sea port, in addition to investing in the refurbishment and expansion of existing stores at Sharjah airport. Furthermore, Travelex is in the process of launching a dozen new ATMs across the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, Dubai International and the new Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A.
In terms of a retail footprint expansion in the Middle East, Oman saw a launch of a new Travelex pre-immigration store at Muscat International Airport in October 2023. The new store comes as Travelex celebrated its 20th anniversary in Oman this year.
In the UAE, a new flagship Landside Arrivals store has opened in Dubai International’s Terminal 3, and at Abu Dhabi seven new stores and eight ATMs have opened to coincide with the inauguration of the new Abu Dhabi International Airport – Terminal A which will serve as the capital city’s main airport.
In Europe, Travelex has significantly expanded its ATM network with new ATMs across Berlin, Frankfurt and Zurich airports, as well as over a dozen ATMs across the Netherlands’ national railway network. Travelex has also celebrated its 30th anniversary in Germany this year (its first German store opened in Frankfurt in 1993); and announced contract extensions for both its bureaux at Hamburg Airport and its tax refund business in the Netherlands.
In the UK, Travelex has launched two firsts: its first ever bureau at a UK rail station with a new branch at London Paddington, and a first-of-its-kind automated, self-service, FX kiosk at London Heathrow that requires no human interaction.
Furthermore, a new store has been opened at Edinburgh Airport, an extensive bureaux refresh has been undertaken across part of Travelex’s UK estate, and new three metre LED walls have also been developed for Heathrow terminals 3 and 5.
In Asia, two new stores have been launched at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2), taking the total number of retail stores in Malaysia to ten, while two further stores are also set to be launched at Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 1 in the coming months.
In Japan, Travelex has introduced its prepaid foreign currency card, the Travelex Travel Money Card, to the local market, and also celebrated its 20th anniversary in the country.
Travelex has opened six new stores in Australia and three in New Zealand. Travelex has also partnered with both Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) to offer its 1.2m customers access to discounted travel money.
In Brazil, Travelex has continued to invest in and expand its operations with seven new stores launched nationwide, including in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Travelex now operates over 125 stores across the country, with further openings planned for the coming months.
The new bureaux openings follow Travelex’s recent announcement of a £90 million refinancing package. With international travel now at 93.1% of pre-Covid levels, and demand for travel – particularly among emerging markets – continuing to accelerate, Travelex is now working to further expand its retail offering, develop new wholesale relationships and increase investment into both its digital transformation and further product innovation.
Richard Wazacz, Travelex CEO, said: “Customer convenience is at the heart of everything Travelex stands for, and so we’re thrilled to be investing in the growth of our retail store operations. This investment, along with the recent news of our £90 million refinancing, is a clear statement that both travel, and Travelex, are on the rise once again.” – TradeArabia News Service