Chinese shoppers are responsible for a third of the world’s luxury sales, according to data by Bain & Co, the consultancy, and many enjoy treating themselves when travelling abroad. But the British luxury industry is missing out – and the UK government is waking up to the problem.
Bureaucracy is in the way. Chinese visitors to the UK and Europe are obliged to apply for two visas: one to visit 26 countries in Europe – known as a Schengen visa – and a second, separate visa for UK entry.
Research by the UK China Visa Alliance, a lobby group, found that just 6 per cent of Chinese coming to Europe bother obtaining the additional UK visa. And why would they, when the Schengen offers passage to luxury shopping destinations such as Paris and Milan without extra paperwork?