South Korean citizens who visit Barcelona now represent 14.5% of VAT refunds claimed by citizens from outside the EU in Catalonia’s capital; a year before they represented just 11%.
These data are a sign of the growing interest in Barcelona by visitors from this Asian power, where citizens have seen a significant growth in their purchasing power in recent years.
South Korea even exceeds the second-placed country (Russia) in number of VAT refund transactions, but the outlay per purchase by the Koreans is somewhat lower. The VAT refund claims made by Russian citizens in the city represented 15.20% of the total. China is in first place with 29.43% of the total.
Since 1st June, Turisme de Barcelona’s office with a VAT refund service in Passatge de la Concepció has extended its opening hours for tourists from outside the EU. The office will be open from eleven in the morning until eight at night.
barcelonaturisme.com
