Retail therapy and travel: Exploring insights into shopping tourists

From fashion capitals selling luxury products to bustling marketplaces peddling local goods, the shopping available at certain destinations is a powerful draw for many tourists.

Shopping tourism can be a boon for retailers, tourism centers and local economies alike, emphasizing the importance of gaining a better understanding of this segment of the travel industry.

Using data from Global Travel Profiles, YouGov's travel-specific audience intelligence and destination tracking tool, we’ll evaluate the market for shopping tourism among leisure travelers from 30 markets.

We’ll also look closely at the travel preferences and behaviors of shopping tourists in key markets from around the globe to answer questions such as where they’re considering traveling to, how much they tend to spend on trips and what other factors motivate them to travel.

Where do shopping tourists reside?

For destination boards and tourism centers, understanding where shopping tourists come from allows them to begin marketing activations in their home countries and at the airports these tourists use to travel to their destination.

According to YouGov data, roughly one in five (18%) of global leisure travelers say they travel mainly for shopping. Among the 30 markets surveyed, Singapore has the highest share of shopping tourists, with 36% of Singaporean leisure travelers saying they travel mainly for this reason.

Shopping appears to be a key aspect of tourism for many Asian travelers, with Malaysia (28%), Indonesia (27%), the Philippines (26%), Japan (25%) and Thailand (25%) holding the next highest market shares of shopping tourists around the globe.

The MENA region also holds a considerable share of shopping tourists, with a nearly a fifth or more of leisure travelers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA; 26%), the United Arab Emirates (UAE; 23%) and Egypt (19%) saying they travel mainly to shop.

At the bottom of the list are leisure travelers from Italy (4%), the UK (4%) and Germany (4%), France (5%) and Spain (6%). Seeing as how many of these European countries are sought-after shopping hotspots themselves, this may explain why travelers from the region may not be as interested in holidays of this type.

Market-level insights for shopping tourists

Segmenting for shopping tourists can help us predict their travel patterns and understand the motivations and decision–making processes more accurately.

Let’s delve into a few insights about shopping tourists from the following key markets:

Singapore

• Number of trips: 30% of shopping tourists from Singapore plan to take 3 or more trips in 2023.
• Other travel motivations: Shopping isn’t the only reason why this segment travels. Many travel to relax and sightsee (54%), spend a short vacation in a city (46%) and visit friends and family (30%).
• Destination preferences: In 2023, the top considered destinations among shopping tourists from Singapore are Japan (57%), Malaysia (41%), Taiwan (41%), South Korea (38%) and Thailand (36%).
  

India

• Hotel stay duration: 17% of shopping tourists from India stayed 8 or more times in a hotel in the last 12 months.
• Vacation spend: 32% of Indian shopping tourists spent more than Rs. 40,000 ($484) per person on their most recent trip.
• Destination preferences: The top considered international destinations among this segment are the Maldives (44%), Dubai (UAE; 44%), Singapore (39%), Switzerland (35%) and Bali Island in Indonesia (34%).
  

UAE

• Travel motivations: Along with the shopping experience, shopping tourists from the UAE also travel to visit friends and family (57%), spend time at the beach (50%) and attend food/drink festivals (44%).
• Number of trips: 42% of shopping tourists from the UAE plan to take 3 or more trips in 2023.
• Destination preferences: The top considered international destinations among shopping tourists are the Maldives (43%), Singapore (40%), the UK (40%), Switzerland (39%) and Saudi Arabia (38%).
  

USA

• How they plan: Shopping tourists from the US say they generally plan their vacations using online random searches (53%), information from friends/family (51%), social media platforms (47%) and destination marketing organizations (35%).
• Vacation spend: 50% of these shopping tourists report having spent more than $1000 per person on their most recent vacation.
• Destination preferences: The top considered international destinations among shopping tourists in the US include Canada (36%), the UK (33%), Italy (31%), France (29%) and Spain (29%).
  

UK

• Travel companions: On their most recent holiday, shopping tourists from the UK say they traveled with their partner (56%), children (33%) and other family members such as parents or grandparents (25%).
• Preferred accommodation: These shopping tourists say they typically stay at luxury hotels (4 or 5 stars; 59%), standard hotels/motels (3 stars or below; 48%) and bed & breakfasts (37%).
• Destination preferences: The top considered international destinations among shopping tourists in the UK include Spain (61%), Italy (46%), France (43%), Greece (40%) and Portugal (39%).
  

Norway

• Number of trips: More than two in five (42%) shopping tourists from Norway plan to take 3 or more trips in 2023.
• Vacation spend: 44% of Norwegian shopping tourists spent more than 10,000 NOK ($929) per person on their most recent holiday.
• Destination preferences: The top considered destinations among shopping tourists in Norway include Spain (52%), the UK (48%), Greece (44%), Denmark (44%) and Italy (43%).

Shopping tourism continues to gain speed within the travel industry, attracting travelers who seek retail therapy as a vital part of their vacation experiences. Recognizing the significance of segmenting this type of traveler among several others will help tourism boards and destination marketers meet their distinct desire.

Read more about cultural wanderlust and segmenting for cultural travelers around the world.

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Photo by Melanie Pongratz on Unsplash