Not just culture or relaxation: at the top of the wish list of Italian travelers there is also shopping. Almost one in three, in fact, declares to travel to make purchases. In the Peninsula, Milan is the preferred destination for national tourist shopping, who mostly buy fashion products in the commercial streets of the big cities, perhaps looking for some “opportunity”. The 9th edition of the Tourism Tourism Report on Tourism Responses Monitor is taking the picture of a rapidly growing sector.
Expo has changed the perception of international tourism: between 2016 and 2018 we have seen constant growth, exceeding + 10% in 2018. By 2019 we want to reach 10 million tourists in Milan
said the president of Risposte Turismo, Francesco di Cesare. The Bel Paese has more than 80 shopping streets and sector associations, over 60 department stores and 1,185 commercial structures, including 187 parks and 955 centers.
The study, presented on 3 December in Milan at the opening of the third ‘Shopping Tourism – Italian forum’ at the headquarters of Confcommercio Milan-Lodi-Monza and Brianza, crowns New York as top destination, in front of the city of Milan. Third London, followed by Paris and Rome. Many kilometers for shopping are rewarded thanks to a greater offer and lower prices. In fact, 39% of the sample interviewed said they had traveled for more choice than their place of residence and 31% to take advantage of cheaper prices.
The study shows that shopping tour purchases and resorting to the figure of the personal shopper on vacation (3%) are still very limited. And even the tax refund service (the possibility of requesting a VAT refund) is used by just over one in ten Italians on their trips outside the European Union. Finally, the weight of travel retail is growing, since 80% of the sample declares to have purchased at airports or railway stations.
