Behind every store, every airport and every customer experience are people. Joy Day is an opportunity to recognise those people and celebrate the relationships, teamwork and sense of community that connect ARI across the world.

Joy On Your Way has become an important part of life at ARI. It’s reflected in how colleagues support one another, how teams come together and how we create memorable experiences for customers.

For Ray Hernan, that culture doesn’t happen by accident. It is built day by day through the actions, attitudes and commitment of people across the organisation.

As ARI celebrates Joy Day 2026, we spoke with Ray about the thinking behind Joy On Your Way, what he’s learned from seeing it evolve across the business, and why culture, leadership and human connection remain as important as ever.

“Because it goes to the heart of who we are as a business.

Travel retail is often measured through sales, footfall and commercial performance, but behind all of that are people. The experiences travellers remember are usually created by colleagues. Joy Day gives us an opportunity to recognise and celebrate that. It reinforces the importance of connection, appreciation and belonging across our business.

At a time when retail is becoming increasingly transactional, Joy Day reminds us that people remain our greatest differentiator. Technology has an important role to play, but people still value human interaction. They want advice, reassurance, engagement and memorable experiences. That’s where our colleagues make the difference.

Those things aren’t separate from performance. In my experience, when colleagues feel valued and connected, it shows in the experience they create for travellers. Joy Day is one of the ways we bring that culture to life.”

“One of the biggest lessons is that joy is much more powerful than it might first appear.

When we developed the new brand platform, we spent a lot of time trying to understand what truly differentiated ARI. Through conversations with colleagues, partners and customers, we kept coming back to the same idea: human connection. Joy was the word that best captured it.

Three years later, what has struck me most is how naturally colleagues have embraced it. It doesn’t feel like a marketing slogan. It has become part of how we think about the business and how we make decisions. In many ways, it has become a North Star that helps keep us focused on the experiences we’re creating for travellers, partners and each other.

Another thing that has struck me is how universal the idea has been. Whether you’re in Ireland, Canada, Portugal, Cyprus or the Middle East, the message resonates. It’s simple, authentic and relevant across cultures and markets. That simplicity has been one of its greatest strengths.”

“We didn’t start the process looking for the word “joy”. We started by asking what makes ARI different.

The answer that consistently emerged was the quality of our relationships. Our relationships with travellers, with brand partners, with airport partners and with each other. We realised that what people valued most about ARI wasn’t just the transaction. It was the relationship.

Travel itself is an emotional experience. Airports are places of anticipation, excitement, reunions, discovery and new beginnings. They are also often among the first and last experiences travellers have of a country. We take that responsibility seriously because the way we engage with passengers reflects not only ARI, but also the destinations we operate in.

Joy is universal. It transcends cultures and borders. It felt true to who we are as a business and where we want to go.

Technology is an enabler, but our colleagues remain at the heart of what we do. Joy reflects our belief that relationships still matter and that they remain one of the most powerful ways to create positive experiences for travellers, colleagues and partners alike.”

“What stands out to me isn’t one big moment. It’s the consistency of small ones.

I’ve seen colleagues go out of their way to help a traveller who was stressed, unsure where they needed to be or looking for advice before a flight. I’ve seen teams rally together to solve a challenge for a partner. I’ve seen colleagues take genuine pride in helping someone find the perfect gift or recommending an alternative when what they were looking for wasn’t available.

Those moments rarely make headlines, but they matter. They remind me that people remember far more than the purchase itself. They remember how they were treated and how they felt.

The products matter and the stores matter. They help bring people in. But very often it’s our colleagues who make the difference. They’re the ones who offer advice, solve problems, build trust and create a positive interaction. Long after a purchase has been made, that’s often what people remember.

That’s where Joy On Your Way comes to life.”

“I would say more relevant.

The last few years have reminded us how important connection is. Travel has always been about bringing people together, whether for business, family, adventure or opportunity. In uncertain times, those connections matter even more.

At the same time, we’re living in a world that is becoming more automated and, in many cases, more transactional. That makes genuine interactions even more valuable. People still want to feel welcomed, understood and appreciated.

That doesn’t mean joy is always easy. There are challenges in every business and every market. But for me, that’s precisely why it matters. Joy On Your Way was never intended to ignore reality. It was intended to remind us of the positive role we can play in people’s journeys.

If we can make someone’s day a little better, strengthen a relationship or leave them with a positive impression of their journey, then we’re delivering on what the brand stands for.”