Irish whiskey to outpace Scotch in travel retail
The Irish whiskey category is gaining depth and a lengthening ladder of price points at airport shops outside of Ireland.
*This feature was originally published in the May 2026 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
Irish whiskey has traditionally played second fiddle to Scotch in travel retail, but the category is now set to outperform its much larger rival across the Irish Sea.
Before the turn of the Millennium, the typical assortment in airport shops globally would rarely extend beyond the big three of Jameson, Bushmills, and Tullamore Dew, but the Irish whiskey business has experienced a massive resurgence this century, with more than 40 new distilleries firing up their stills.
Outside of Ireland, the range of Irish whiskeys offered at leading international hubs is yet to reflect this dynamic expansion. Yet the category’s upward growth trajectory, reflecting its increasing popularity worldwide, is undeniable, according to Charlotte Reid, senior insights manager, global travel retail (GTR), at IWSR. She reveals Irish whiskey in GTR could grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3% in volume to 2029, outshining Scotch, which will only increase by a CAGR of 1% over the same period.
“Irish whiskey shows no sign of plateauing, with growth forecast within all price tiers driven by increased shelf space and activity for the category,” she adds. “The US is the largest market for Irish whiskey by volume, but growth is not just limited to the US or Ireland. Asia Pacific markets such as India, the Philippines, and Japan are gaining traction.”
On a more granular level, Reid explains that Irish whiskey’s brightest prospects for high-volume growth lie among adventurous shoppers in markets such as Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US, searching for niche but “approachable” additions to their home whisky collections. In contrast, prestige-plus Irish whiskey faces a stiffer challenge against Scotch and Japanese whiskies, whose stronger provenance credentials have more resonance with travellers.
“The real value-add for the category lies in leveraging the volume and visibility of premium blends to tell a compelling craft and heritage story at the shelf,” Reid argues. “This is where Irish whiskey’s competitive edge in GTR truly lives.”
Over the past two decades, Irish travel retailer Aer Rianta International (ARI) has done a sterling job of promoting Irish whiskey at the country’s two main international airports, Dublin and Cork, as well as at its overseas operations, which include markets, such as Canada, Cyprus, Portugal, Abu Dhabi, Oman, and, since April this year, New York JFK Terminal 4. Anne Keane, ARI Ireland retail marketing manager, says Irish whiskey sales at Dublin Airport rose by 2.1% last year, despite a “volatile trading environment”, underlining the category’s resilience.
Paul Hunnisett, ARI global head of liquor, tobacco, confectionery and souvenirs, adds that “iconic names” like Bushmills and Jameson remain “foundational” to the retailer’s offer at Dublin Airport, but he also notes that many travellers today are increasingly curious and well informed. “There is a growing appetite to discover something new and distinctive, and travel retail provides an ideal stage for those moments of discovery,” he explains.
“Limited and exclusive releases such as Two Stacks’ Flight Series and Teeling’s 10 Year Old Celebratory Batch allow us to showcase the creativity and confidence of Ireland’s distillers and independent bonders, while giving travellers access to whiskies they may not find elsewhere.”
In March, ARI transitioned its traditional St Patrick’s Day activation from a one-day event into a multi-week, scalable commercial platform across its overseas portfolio in locations such as Barbados, Canada, Montenegro, and Portugal, giving Irish whiskey an inevitable boost in presence.
Marketing manager Jen Ryan says: “The key challenge was ensuring St Patrick’s Day felt culturally meaningful and educational rather than simply imported, particularly in emerging whiskey markets such as Montenegro or Cyprus, where passenger familiarity with Irish whiskey can be limited.”
Vibrant new look
In the same month, Pernod Ricard GTR launched its Travel like a Jameson campaign, an extension and amplification of the category leader’s wider ‘Must be a Jameson’ marketing campaign, which aims to showcase the whiskey’s smoothness in a light-hearted, humorous and welcoming way. “Along with debuting a vibrant new look in stores, the campaign helps to globalise the brand, ensuring we show up as one, wherever we’re sold,” explains Rae Gibson, director of power brands and emerging categories at Pernod Ricard.
Gibson says Jameson’s Triple Triple GTR-exclusive expressions remain a key focus for Pernod Ricard GTR, offering travellers products they simply can’t find at home. “They have been very well received since the launch of Triple Triple Malaga Cask in 2019,” she notes. “Malaga is our best performing expression after Original in the channel.” Last year, Jameson launched Triple Triple Marsala Cask as its second limited edition whiskey. “Marsala became our first GTR exclusive to be listed in the cruise channel, and opened up more opportunities,” Gibson adds.
She says Jameson Black Barrel, an expression aged in double-charred Bourbon barrels, is also proving a success in GTR, albeit at a higher price point. She cites the super-premium product’s 17% year-to-date (nine months to March 2026) growth rate as an indication of the growing global demand for trade-up options in travel markets, such as Europe, the Middle East and India.
In a similar vein, Proximo Spirits is gaining traction with its new Bushmills World Wood Series – a premium, GTR-exclusive range of small-batch Irish single malts, focusing on unique cask maturation.
Roy Summers, Proximo’s head of GTR, says travellers are seeking out age statements as high as 18 and 21 years, cask innovation, and exclusivity, with purchase behaviour driven both by premium gifting and an “indulgent, self-reward mindset”.
He argues: “What’s encouraging is that Irish single malt is now entering a territory that was traditionally dominated by Scotch. The combination of age statements, distinctive wood finishes, and a strong provenance story allows Bushmills to compete credibly at that high-value gifting level – while offering something new and differentiated.”
India’s potential
In recent years, industry excitement has grown over the potential of the Indian duty free market, buoyed by swelling numbers of aspirational middle-class Indian travellers and greatly improved retailing standards at the country’s leading hub airports. It’s a market with undoubted potential for Irish whiskey, Summers agrees, but he argues that it is important a brand like Bushmills doesn’t try to “replace” Scotch, but offer a “compelling alternative”, grounded in authenticity and craftsmanship. “Indian travellers are highly engaged and brand-aware, so we lean into the depth of the Bushmills story – over 400 years of heritage, single-distillery production, and our grain-to-glass credentials,” he explains. “We also focus on flavour accessibility. Irish single malt, particularly Bushmills, offers a smoother, more approachable profile, which resonates well with consumers transitioning from blends or lighter Scotch styles. Finally, we tailor the experience in-store – through trained brand ambassadors, guided tastings, and clear communication of the World Wood Series’ cask stories.
India’s potential is typical of an emerging travel retail spirits category with enormous headroom for growth in multiple regions. Inevitably, it will be harder for smaller independent brands to gain a foothold in such a high-cost distribution channel, but as growing consumer demand leads to more shelf space being allocated to Irish whiskey, opportunities will arise.
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