APAC tax-free shopping records strong recovery in December 2023
The recovery rate during the month stood at 151%.
The Asia Pacific region posted a steady recovery in tax-free shopping, up by 151% in December 2023, driven by the growth in Japan, according to data from Global Blue.
In a statement, Global Blue said the recovery is strong compared to the 149% recovery in October/November, and 134% in the third quarter of 2023.
In terms of origin markets, residents from Hong Kong and Taiwan saw a 512% recovery during the period, whilst travellers from North East Asia saw a recovery rate of 336%.
ALSO READ: China's border reopening spurs capital flow, tourism recovery in APAC cities
Japan, meanwhile, remains the driver of tax-free shopping in terms of destination markets with a recovery rate of 231% due to the weakened Japanese Yen.
Globally, Global Blue found that sales in-store like-for-like recovery was at 130%, also higher than the 125% recovery in October/November and 123% in the third quarter of 2023.