Gulf tourists splash cash in ailing UK high streets

Gulf tourists spent the most amount of money per head in the UK in 2011 as tourists spending power reached a record GBP£18.5bn (US$27.9bn), according to new data.

Tourists from the oil-rich GCC spent GBP£442 per head followed by visitors from Nigeria (GBP£432) and China (GBP£405), the UK’s main tourist body VisitBritain said.

An estimated 18m foreign visitors spent GBP£4.5bn in British retail outlets in 2011, up seven percent from the previous year. The figure is expected to increase to GBP£4.7bn in 2012.

Nearly 300,000 visitors came to Britain solely to shop with personal shoppers, spending more than GBP£168m in 2011 while shopping in Harrods was chosen as the top activity by almost one in five visitors polled.

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