Where visitors come from shapes how much they spend while traveling and what they buy. Studies show that a retailer’s performance can vary significantly when a new tourist enters a shop. Chinese travelers tend to leave about 1,260 euros in shopping during their stay, compared with around 500 euros from English tourists or about 326 euros from French travelers.
This insight comes from a WTTC report based on 4,600 interviews with travelers from 24 countries. Presented at Rock Village, the study focuses on shopping tourism, a rapidly growing sub-sector within travel. Some visitors come to a city to admire iconic sights, while others are drawn by fashion, aiming to invest heavily in local boutiques and markets.
The economic impact of shopping tourism is substantial. The WTTC notes that visitors to Spain, for example, spent 2,428 million euros in 2021, a figure that is expected to rise as the pandemic effects fade. In 2019 Spain’s shopping tourism contributed 5.127 million euros to the national GDP, placing the country among the top nine globally for shopping tourism’s share of the economy.
The study also highlights a demographic trend: shoppers with high purchasing power often migrate toward emerging markets. Among nationalities, Chinese, Argentinians, Saudis, and Indians tend to spend more while traveling, driven by the desire to spend money abroad, compared with Australians, Americans, Japanese, and Britons who, on average, spend less per trip when not counting travel and accommodation costs. The per-trip spend for these affluent groups averages around 741 euros for Chinese visitors and about 468 euros for other high-spending nationalities [WTTC report].
Food, cosmetics and jewelry
Despite variations across groups, Chinese travelers show the highest average shopping expenditure at about 1,260 euros, while French visitors average roughly 326 euros. Spaniards traveling for shopping spend slightly more than the average, around 347 euros, and preferences diverge by category. Data suggests that cosmetics and perfumes attract Chinese shoppers, food and alcohol appeal to Australian visitors, and clothing and accessories attract Indian travelers, with jewelry and watches frequently drawing Emirati visitors among others. These patterns help retailers tailor assortments and experiences to different tourist profiles.
One key takeaway from the WTTC analysis is that while many marketing campaigns aim to create a unique, authentic local experience, the majority of international visitors still end up shopping. They often visit large malls, artisan shops, and markets, or head to flagship stores and duty-free zones at airports. The presence of familiar brands alongside local specialties creates a shopping ecosystem that blends global brands with regional flavors and products, shaping how destinations cultivate visitor spending and draw repeat travel. The report emphasizes that shopping remains a central activity for many international travelers, even when they seek memorable cultural encounters.
Authors of the study argue that understanding shopper psychology and regional buying power is essential for destinations seeking to optimize tourism income. By aligning retail offerings with the profiles of international visitors, cities can extend stay duration, encourage higher spend per day, and boost the contribution of tourism to local economies. These insights are especially valuable for planners and retailers aiming to convert tourist footfall into meaningful economic activity over the long term. [WTTC report attribution]