Middle Eastern travellers are likely to shun France for their summer holidays this year, following a nationwide burqa ban in the European country.
As a result, shops in the UK have reported an increase in the number of international visitors — with high-end stores Liberty and Selfridges reporting increases of 45% and 40% respectively compared with last year, and numbers across the West End expected to increase by up to 15%, according to British newspaper The Independent.
Middle Eastern shoppers spent on average £1,800 per shopping trip, compared with £120 by UK shoppers.
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The last two weeks of July, during the pre-Ramadam period, is the busiest time for visitors from these regions, with sales expected to exceed £200 million.
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