The “tourism tax” created by the abolition of tax-free shopping is having a wider impact on the British economy, the boss of Harvey Nichols has warned.
Manju Malhotra, chief executive of the department store based in Knightsbridge, SW1, has joined Harrods and other luxury retailers in calling for the government to restore the scheme, which allowed visitors from non-European Union countries to recover the VAT on purchases and was scrapped in 2021.
Malhotra said it affected “the entire ecosystem of hospitality, hotels and cultural destinations, which are integral to the overall UK economy”.
The Times (£)
