Tourist tax sends an 'unfriendly message' to foreign shoppers

Britain’s tourist tax sends an ‘unfriendly message’ to foreign shoppers, says founder of luxury bag company which made satchel for Taylor Swift

• Julie Deane started The Cambridge Satchel Company from her kitchen in 2008
• She is backing a campaign to bring back VAT-free shopping for foreign tourists

The founder of a luxury bag company adored by stars such as Taylor Swift has warned that independent shops are being hit hard by Britain’s tourist tax.

Julie Deane, who started The Cambridge Satchel Company from her kitchen in 2008, is backing a campaign to bring back VAT-free shopping for foreign tourists.

She said: ‘Scrapping this scheme was a big hit because it sends out this unfriendly message, rather than saying, ‘You’re very welcome, we love tourists, please come and shop here’. 

We’re up against places like Paris, where they’re very big on asking tourists at the tills to ‘show us your passport’ and say, ‘Yes you can reclaim this tax’

More than 300 business leaders are backing The Mail’s ‘Scrap The Tourist Tax’ campaign and have signed a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him to reverse a 2021 decision to end the VAT refunds.

The founder of a luxury bag company adored by stars such as Taylor Swift

Julie Deane, who started The Cambridge Satchel Company from her kitchen in 2008, is backing a campaign to bring back VAT-free shopping for foreign tourists

Jeremy Hunt’s decision not to reinstate duty-free shopping for overseas visitors is so short-sighted and damaging 

Signatories include Burberry and Mulberry, Harrods, Heathrow airport and Marks & Spencer.

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Scrap the tourist tax that’s harming Britain, READ MORE

Ms Deane, 56, said tourist spending was a ‘big part’ of business for niche shops in London, Edinburgh and Cambridge before the pandemic, which ‘hammered’ profits.

‘Those cities have also suffered from working from home,’ she said. 

‘You don’t have people milling around at lunchtime trying to grab that last minute birthday present.

‘The independents are so niche that big shopping tourist groups probably don’t even know about them. 

‘But when they are en route to bigger brands, they will pass an interesting window and duck in.’

Ms Deane, who sold her business to French giant Chargeurs last year, added: ‘We need a vibrant high street to have good communities. 

‘It is a very worrying thing, rebuilding communities. If we all stay in our houses and shop online then that is a very lonely world.’

Source: Read Full Article