Fear of terrorism after September 11 did little to prevent overseas visitors spending in some of the world's most popular shopping streets last year, according to Global Refund research.
The data from the tax refund services specialist revealed no significant decline in sales to tourists in London's Bond Street, Paris's Champs-Elysees, Rome's Via Condotti, Vienna's Kohlmarkt and Frankfurt's Goethestrasse compared with 2001.
The number of shoppers decreased in many streets in 2002, but the amount they spent increased - in some cases in excess of the 6 per cent increase in average spend throughout Europe.
Russians were the biggest spenders, favouring Bond Street where they spent an average£897 on each shopping trip. They were also the top spenders in Rome and Vienna and the second largest in Frankfurt. Hong Kong travellers preferred the glamour of the Champs-Elysees.
In Bond Street, transaction volumes rose 30 per cent in 2002, and average exspenditure was up by 12 per cent. Bond Street represents 13 per cent of all tax-free shopping done in the UK. Similarly, 14 per cent of France's tax-free shopping takes place on the Champs-Elysees.
Rome's Via Condotti was the only street to record a decline in average exspenditure - down by 1 per cent - and a fall in transaction volume of 12 per cent.
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