Golden age of London shopping

London's high streets benefited from a huge increase in Chinese shoppers over the October Golden Week holiday, with sales to Chinese tourists in the West End up by 307 percent year-on-year.

The average transaction was 1,256 pounds per visit during the week starting Oct 3 - two days after the beginning of the Chinese national holiday - according management services company New West End and financial services company Premier Tax Free.

Industry observers had predicted a profitable Golden Week this year due to the fall in the pound - a trip to the UK is now about 20 percent cheaper than it was this time last year, according to travel agency Ctrip.

Tracey Edginton, from the tourism authority VisitBritain, says preliminary data from ForwardKeys, an independent travel analyst, shows flight bookings from China for October to December are 24 percent up on the same period in 2015. Chinese visitors are also being attracted by a VisitBritain marketing campaign in China.

The pound has plunged to its lowest level against the dollar in 30 years, triggered by uncertainty over Britain's prospects after it leaves the European Union.

Britons voted to leave the EU after more than 40 years in June, and Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will begin the formal departure process no later than March.

Chinese visitors to Britain soared by 46 percent last year. VisitBritain's annual report released on Oct 11 showed that In 2015, Chinese visitors spent 586 million pounds in the UK, an 18 percent increase year-on-year.

Alisha Lewis of VisitBritain says, "This was a record for Chinese visitors and it has put China at No 9 in our top 10 most valuable markets."

Contact the writers at chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/14/2016 page27)