Redefining the Africa travel experience: Scentopia opens new beauty store at Accra's Kotoka International Airport

Just a few years ago, airport travel across Africa was defined by speed and necessity – a place to pass through, not to linger. Now, the story is changing.

At Accra’s Kotoka International Airport, a new kind of experience has arrived with Scentopia – Africa’s leading luxury beauty retailer – opening its first travel-retail boutique, in partnership with Inter-African Marketing (IAM). The store is said to redefine what luxury means for the modern African traveler.

For nearly a decade, Scentopia has been a destination for beauty lovers across Ghana, Senegal and Mauritius, featuring world-class fragrance and skincare brands in elegantly designed environments that invite discovery and indulgence. Now, that same sense of occasion has landed at Accra Airport. But this time, it’s not just about retail; it’s about changing the rhythm of travel itself.

The new boutique brings together a selection of beauty brands including Dior, Lancôme, Armani, YSL, Paco Rabanne, Carolina Herrera, Gucci, CeraVe, La Roche-Posay and many more all under one roof. From timeless fragrances to dermatologist-recommended skincare, this is a complete beauty destination for the modern African traveler. Featuring refined displays, ambient lighting and softly perfumed air, it’s curated, intentional, and unmistakably African in spirit.

A new vision, a journey reimagined

Across the African continent, travel is expanding faster than ever. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that air travel in Africa grew by over 5% year-on-year in 2025, while the Ghana Tourism Authority recorded more than 1.2 million international arrivals in 2024. A clear sign that leisure, diaspora travel, and inter-African mobility are reshaping how and why people move.

It is this evolution which is at the heart of Scentopia’s new vision. Where airports like Kotoka International, once served the hurried business traveler, they now welcome families reconnecting with roots, friends reuniting across borders, and tourists exploring Africa’s growing destinations from Cape Coast to Dakar.

According to Vipul Gajjar, CEO of Scentopia, the African traveler today “is no longer just passing through. They are curious, confident, and connected to both their roots and the world.

“For years, travel retail in Africa has lacked the sensory, immersive experience found in places like Dubai or Paris,” he said. “Scentopia is here to change that, to make every departure or arrival an experience worth remembering. This is not just a store; it’s a statement about who the African traveler has become.”

Gajjar noted how most airport retail across Africa still struggles with two extremes: independent operators who lack luxury know-how, and global players who under-deliver versus their international standards. “Scentopia stands firmly in between, rooted in Africa, but executed to global perfection,” he added.

“The Accra Airport boutique is designed not only to sell beauty but to set a new benchmark for what travel retail on the continent can feel like.”

Johnny Lakhwani, Commercial Director, Inter-African Marketing, commented: “For IAM, this opening is more than just a business milestone. It’s a reflection of a continent in motion.

“As Africa’s leading distributor in both domestic and travel retail, we believe now is the time to capture this transformation. Our mission is twofold: to support retailers such as Scentopia as it expands into key airports across the region, and to help elevate how brands express luxury across every African market.

“The story of travel retail in Africa is just beginning – and it’s going to be extraordinary.”