KT&G has gained global attention at the world's biggest duty free business exhibition being held in France, reinforcing its goal to expand in the global tobacco market, according to the country's major tobacco products maker, Wednesday.
The company is participating in this year's TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, hosted by the Tax Free World Association in Cannes that kicked off Monday for a four-day run.
KT&G showcased its key tobacco brands Esse, Raison and Bohem it has been selling domestically and overseas. Esse, according to the company, has claimed the biggest market share among global consumers of ultra-slim cigarettes.
Kwon Min-seok, the company's global business division head, said the company has created new opportunities for market expansion thanks to recent meetings at the expo and strengthened its global presence.
“This year's TFWA World has allowed us to take a step closer to joining the global top-tier group by promoting our products to companies and industry officials we've never traded before,” Kwon said.
KT&G made its debut in the global duty free market in 1995 by introducing 88 Light — which had become a hit product here — in China. Since then, the company has distributed its products to 320 duty free outlets across 150 cities worldwide. The company has been focusing on the Asian duty free market, selling products at shops in 28 of the 30 biggest Asian international airports.
Following the expo, the company said it will expand its duty free market to the Europe, the Middle East and Central America.