There are 11 million High Net Worth individuals worldwide and they are of growing interest to international tourism destinations as their appetite for luxury travel translates into increased visitor spend and, thereby, economic growth.

Shopping is one activity that can account for much of the expenditure of wealthy travellers, but it is by no means limited to them, with 58% of all visits to Britain involving shopping and total spend on this activity by overseas visitors estimated to have been £4.5bn in 2011.

Chapter 11 of our Market Profiles has data on the propensity of visitors to shop for souvenirs, clothes and accessories while in Britain. Take a look at the Brazilian Market Profile for an example of this.

A variety of our research touches on the themes of luxury and shopping and can be found on this page. To search for information relating to different topics and markets, you can also use our Market Intelligence Report Search (www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/resourcesearch/index.aspx).

• Foresight issue 112
  The February 2013 edition of Foresight explored the importance of shopping as a motivator for inbound tourism to Britain and looked at ways in which visitors are most likely to engage in a spot of retail therapy during their stay.

• Price and Value Research
  Foresight issue 108
  VisitBritain commissioned research in 2012 into perceptions of price and value of a trip to Britain compared with France and Italy. Recent travellers from Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada and Australia were asked about the price and value of a variety of aspects, including shopping. The October 2012 issue of Foresight presented key findings from this research.

• Foresight issue 104
  The June 2012 edition of Foresight shared the findings of a study commissioned into perceptions of Britain in European markets, including several aspects relating to shopping.

• Activities Data 2011
  Find out how many visitors from overseas undertook particular activities in 2011, including shopping.

• Regional visitor profile & activities report
  Our flagship report on inbound tourism to Britain’s nations and regions covers the profile of international visitors in different areas of Britain and the activities they do there. It shows in which areas of Britain overseas visitors are most likely to shopping, either for clothes or souvenirs.

• Foresight issue 94
  The August 2011 edition of Foresight took a look at trends in the number of high-net-worth individuals.

• Foresight issue 91
  The May 2011 edition of Foresight presented data on inbound visitors who use a credit card when in Britain.

• Foresight issue 87
  The January 2011 edition of Foresight explored the appeal of 'only in Britain' activities, including shopping at Harrods.

• Luxury Research Summary 
  A summary covering key findings arising from the a luxury leisure market study conducted in 2010 (i.e. key motivators, barriers, perceptions of Britain, and the decision making process).

• Luxury Tourism Trends Summary
  A summary of seven trends that were developed through the above research to help identify the next big things in the luxury travel market. The research took place in Brazil, Russia and India with separate summary reports available for the findings from each market.

• Activities Undertaken in Different Areas of the UK
  Updated in November 2010, this report analysed data from the 2006-2009 International Passenger Surveys on what visitors from overseas did during their visit to different areas of the UK.