The boss of luxury jeweller Boodles has branded the tourist tax a ‘spectacular own goal’ ahead of the Autumn Statement.
The company is among the 400 or so to have backed the Mail’s campaign to reinstate VAT-free shopping for overseas visitors.
And with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt putting the final touches to tomorrow’s statement, Boodles managing director Michael Wainwright said the levy has been ‘extremely unhelpful’ for retailers and has hit tourism more widely.
Faces of Boodles: Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia Spencer. The jeweller has backed our campaign to reinstate VAT-free shopping for tourists
‘It’s not just the spending on luxury, it’s the staying in hotels and dining out in restaurants that is also affected,’ Wainwright told The Times.
Companies including Boodles, Burberry and Marks & Spencer have backed the Mail’s campaign to scrap the tourist tax.
The boss of London’s gigantic Westfield shopping malls in Stratford and White City echoed Boodles’ pleas yesterday.
Scott Parsons, UK chief operating officer at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said the absence of tax-free shopping had hit the High Street hard.
