Boom of international tourism in the week of Furniture expo in Milan. To confirm it Global blue, a leading company in the Tax Free Shopping sector. With an average receipt of 1.368 €, compared to 1.278 euros in 2022 (+7%), an increase in transactions of 33% compared to last year, a 95% growth in sales compared to the week preceding the fair and a near full recovery (98%) on 2019, the data recorded in the week of the flagship event of the year and flag of Made in Italy definitely confirmed the expectations for the return to the city of numerous tourists from all over the world and for the restart of Tax Free shopping.
To push the recovery is the China which ranks first among nationalities with 22% of total sales, recording a 52% recovery compared to 2019: a remarkable result compared to 2022 when only 2% of sales were attributed to shoppers from the People's Republic. They back off United States, with 12% of total sales, down from the 20% recorded last year. The countries of Southeast Asia (SEA), the Gulf countries and finally Brazil complete the list of the most represented nationalities. Also noteworthy is the "other nationalities" category, whose weight is 31%, the result of a large mix of other nationalities, among which Turkey, India and Israel stand out in particular.
Hong Kong wins the highest average receipt (2.445 euros) for Tax Free shopping in the city not only of fashion, but also the queen of design. The Salone del Mobile has also led to numerous purchases by tourists Gulf countries, which recorded the second highest average receipt equal to 1.914 euros. Third in the standings are the Chinese with an average receipt of 1.894 euros.
Instead, the American as regards the recovery of sales compared to 2019 (223%), also recording a 164% on transactions compared to the pre-pandemic period. Equally remarkable recovery that of Brazil, which with only 4% of total sales achieved a recovery of 196%. Also Taiwan, with a 184% recovery, has now surpassed pre-Covid levels.
"Expectations for the return of Chinese tourists have been fully met and this has contributed to bringing Tax Free shopping back to levels close to those of 2019, despite the lower flows from Arab countries due to the coincidence with Ramadan and the absence of Russians. These are figures that we welcome with pleasure and that bode well for the second half of the year” said Stephen Rizzi, Managing Director Global Blue Italy.
"For a definitive turning point in our tourism chain, heavily penalized in recent years by the pandemic crisis and the effects of the conflict in Ukraine - he added Rizzy – it is necessary to focus on Tax Free shopping as a competitive lever and attraction towards non-European tourist flows. It is therefore necessary to intervene to lower the minimum spending threshold with which to access the service, in Italy still stuck at the old 300 lire: this is the highest threshold in Europe, while other Member States have reduced it or, in some cases, cleared".
