The United Kingdom remains one of the top shopping destinations for GCC travelers, with visitors from the region spending a total of 5.5 billion riyals on purchases in 2007 alone, according to Global Refund (VAT) statistics. A testament to the popularity of the UK's tourism offering, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the leading market in terms of individual visitor spend within the UK - followed by the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait - making the Gulf one of the UK's most lucrative visitor markets. The GCC market had the highest retail spend in the UK in August 2008, purchasing an average of 18,000 riyals worth of goods - an impressive 74 percent increase compared to last year, with a significant amount spent on luxury items. “Shopping is an essential element of the UK's tourism offering and we have found that Gulf travelers in particular appreciate and enjoy the high caliber of shopping options offered in the UK, injecting a significant amount of capital into our tourism economy,” said Carol Maddison, marketing manager, Visit Britain UAE. The UK has long been a favorite destination for GCC shopping enthusiasts, with an extensive range of high end department stores and renowned shopping boulevards attracting visitors seeking the latest trends and most exciting shopping experiences in the world. Last year, Britain welcomed a total of 514,000 travelers from the Middle East, and continues to attract a high volume of visitors from the region due to its Arab-friendly holiday environment and abundance of retail and leisure activities. __
