UK retailers want new visa strategy for Chinese visitors

By DOMINIC JEFF
Published on 20/08/2012 00:00

Retailers are lobbying the UK government to adopt a plan to help more Chinese shoppers to spend their money on British high streets.

The current rules mean visitors from countries such as China need separate visas to enter Britain and the rest of the EU, and UK businesses fear many tourists will not bother to visit Britain because of the
additional red tape. They are to submit a proposal to the UK
Border Agency which would see its officers work with counterparts on the continent to process both visas simultaneously,
offering tourists a “one-stop shop”.

The plan has been devised by businesses including luxury brands and high-end retailers, which hope to benefit from China’s new-found consumer spending power.