全球旅行零售中加密货币的潜力越来越大

在这篇客人的文章中，综合设计和营销机构Wepurple的詹姆斯·布朗（James Brown）探讨了全球旅行零售中加密货币的日益增长的潜力

After a few years waiting in the wings, cryptocurrencies are firmly back in the spotlight. The new administration in the USA includes Washington’s most pro-crypto Congress and regulatory bodies ever – and digital assets are making their way back into mainstream financial conversations. Even US President Donald Trump himself has been in on the action – becoming the first US President to launch his own coin.

在翅膀上等待了几年后，加密货币牢固地重新成为焦点。美国的新政府包括华盛顿最亲密的国会和有史以来监管机构 - 数字资产正在重返主流财务对话。甚至美国总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）本人也一直在采取行动 - 成为第一位发起自己的硬币的美国总统。

How is the world of travel retail reacting? Last November, Afrique Duty-Free (part of the DFP World Group) announced that it would be accepting cryptocurrency for customer payments in what the company called a “global industry first”. The move comes as Afrique Duty-Free prepares an ambitious expansion plan across Western and Southern Africa.

旅游零售世界的反应如何？去年11月，Afrique免税（DFP World Group的一部分）宣布，将接受该公司所谓的“全球行业”的客户付款的加密货币。此举是随着非洲税务义务在西部和南部非洲制定雄心勃勃的扩张计划而进行的。

So, is the GTR stage set for a crypto renaissance as the industry tries to appeal to a new generation of digital-native travellers? Or, will the hype fade away – a boom and bust not dissimilar to the aforementioned Trump coin?

因此，随着行业试图吸引新一代数字新兴旅行者，GTR舞台是否为加密文艺复兴时期设定了。或者，炒作会消失 - 繁荣和胸围与前面提到的特朗普硬币没有不同的繁荣和胸围吗？

We may see a trickle of other travel retailers experimenting with crypto, but it will take compelling results to open the floodgates to mass adoption. There is certainly potential – for instance, imagine a big player accepting cryptocurrency and linking it with their existing CRM programme. This could speed up broader implementation across the various silos of GTR.

我们可能会看到其他旅行零售商正在尝试使用加密货币的trick流，但是要开放闸门以进行大规模收养将需要令人信服的结果。当然有潜力 - 例如，想象一个大玩家接受加密货币并将其与现有的CRM程序联系起来。这可以加快在GTR的各种孤岛中更广泛的实施。

While the hype swirls around Bitcoin and meme coins, a greater shift is happening beneath the surface. Blockchain – the technology that powers crypto – is quietly transforming industries, offering security, transparency, and efficiency.

当炒作围绕比特币和模因硬币旋转时，表面下方正在发生更大的变化。区块链是为加密提供动力的技术 - 正在悄悄地改变行业，提供安全性，透明度和效率。

This isn’t about Bitcoin or volatile coins; it’s about the broader implications for brands, loyalty programmes, and airport operations. Travel retail has yet to harness the full potential of blockchain, but it holds promise in several domains.

这与比特币或挥发性硬币有关；这是对品牌，忠诚度计划和机场运营的更广泛影响。 Travel Retail尚未利用区块链的全部潜力，但它在几个领域都有希望。

Trust is the currency of travel retail. Luxury brands, spirits and high-end cosmetics rely on credibility, but today’s consumer wants more than marketing – they want proof. Blockchain offers an immutable record that can be used to trace the journey of products and ingredients, verifying origin, quality and supply chain integrity in real time.

信任是旅行零售的货币。奢侈品牌，烈酒和高端化妆品依赖于信誉，但是今天的消费者想要的不仅仅是营销 - 他们想要证明。区块链提供了不变的记录，可用于追踪产品和成分的旅程，实时验证来源，质量和供应链完整性。

This capability is already being realised. Beauty brand Clarins has implemented blockchain to create a traceability system where consumers can scan a product’s QR code and instantly view information about the product’s journey. They can see where the ingredients were sourced, the sustainability practices employed and the production history of the product.

此功能已经实现。 Beauty Brand Clarins已经实施了区块链，以创建一个可追溯性系统，消费者可以在该系统中扫描产品的QR码，并立即查看有关产品旅程的信息。他们可以看到成分的来源，采用的可持续性实践以及产品的生产历史。

A similar approach could be used to redefine trust in travel retail. High-value purchases – such as premium wines, limited-edition watches and fine fragrances – could come with blockchain-verified proof of authenticity, eliminating counterfeits from circulation. This could be particularly important if the pre-owned craze is to catch on in travel retail.

可以使用类似的方法来重新定义旅游零售的信任。高价值购买（例如高级葡萄酒，限量版手表和精美的香水）可能会带有区块链验证的真实性证明，从而消除了伪造的循环。如果预先二手的热潮是在旅游零售中抓住，这可能特别重要。

Airports and retailers would also benefit. Counterfeit prevention is not just a brand issue; it protects the credibility of the entire travel retail ecosystem. If blockchain-backed authentication becomes standard, consumers will have zero doubts about their purchases, making duty-free the definitive destination for guaranteed authenticity.

机场和零售商也将受益。伪造预防不仅是品牌问题；它保护了整个旅行零售生态系统的信誉。如果由区块链支持的身份验证成为标准验证，则消费者对购买的疑问将零怀疑，这使得无义务成为保证真实性的确定目的地。

The speculative frenzy surrounding NFTs may have faded, but the underpinning technology is interesting. As collectibles, NFTs are struggling to find a place in today’s crowded market. However, NFTs are shifting from collectibles to services and experiences, adding tangible value and engaging customers in new ways.

NFT周围的投机性疯狂可能已经消失，但基础技术很有趣。作为收藏品，NFT正在努力在当今拥挤的市场中找到席位。但是，NFT正在从收藏品转移到服务和体验，以新的方式增加了有形的价值和吸引客户。

Consider a limited-edition whisky at London Heathrow Airport, accompanied by an NFT granting the buyer access to an exclusive Speyside distillery tour or private tasting event. In the beauty sector, an NFT tied to a skincare product could offer personalised consultations with brand ambassadors. These applications turn NFTs from digital novelties into experiential assets, reinforcing exclusivity and brand loyalty in a way that traditional marketing cannot.

考虑在伦敦希思罗机场的限量版威士忌，并伴随着NFT，允许买家获得Speyside Distillery Tour或私人品尝活动。在美容领域，与护肤产品相关的NFT可以与品牌大使进行个性化咨询。这些应用程序将NFT从数字新颖性转变为体验式资产，以传统营销无法做到的方式增强了排他性和品牌忠诚度。

Of course, the question remains – why use NFT technology to facilitate these experiences over existing tools, such as CRM or loyalty programmes?

当然，问题仍然存在 - 为什么要使用NFT技术来促进这些经验，例如CRM或忠诚度计划？

As global travellers ourselves, we see a barrier in the brand experience when having to set up independent client profiles in each country. Could NFTs be the key for unlocking brand experiences globally without having to be a CRM member in every country? This could be a strong point of differentiation for use in travel retail, which is inherently global in nature.

作为全球旅行者，我们必须在每个国家建立独立的客户概况时看到品牌体验的障碍。 NFT可以成为全球释放品牌体验的关键，而不必成为每个国家的CRM成员？这可能是在旅行零售中使用的差异化点，旅行零售本质上本质上是全球性的。

This brings us to the broader implications of blockchain for airport operations. With millions of passengers moving through global hubs every day, even minor inefficiencies in security, baggage handling or ticketing can have a significant impact on time and revenue.

这使我们了解了区块链对机场运营的更广泛含义。每天数以百万计的乘客在全球枢纽中移动，即使是安全性，行李处理或票务的轻微效率也可能对时间和收入产生重大影响。

Finally, in an industry that is quickly adopting emerging technologies, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long term. We are at the very early stages of seeing how practical cryptocurrency is likely to become in a retail setting and will be keeping an eye on Afrique Duty-Free’s progress.

最后，在一个迅速采用新兴技术的行业中，长期看到这是如何发挥作用将是很有趣的。我们正处于早期阶段，即了解实用的加密货币可能会在零售环境中变成多大程度上，并且会密切关注Afrique免税的进步。

But blockchain technology is not a distant future concept – it is already being used today to reshape industries. The brands, retailers and airports that integrate this technology early will set new standards for security, efficiency and consumer trust.

但是区块链技术并不是一个遥远的未来概念 - 今天它已经用于重塑行业。尽早整合这项技术的品牌，零售商和机场将为安全，效率和消费者信任设定新的标准。

Travel retail has an opportunity to lead, rather than follow. Those who embrace blockchain will not only create a more seamless experience for travellers but also future-proof their business in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

旅行零售有机会领导而不是跟随。那些拥护区块链的人不仅会为旅行者创造更加无缝的体验，而且还会在迅速发展的数字经济中提供未来的业务。

The shift is

转变是