Around one in three Chinese tourists visiting Europe in the past 12 months, rising to two-thirds when considering just those who went shopping for fashion, visited a designer outlet village, revealing their willingness to travel to find the right mass of luxury brands at an accessible price. This was their second favourite shopping destination after the high street.

The results were revealed in a survey carried out by Europe's leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, McArthurGlen. The survey interviewed 1,000 Chinese men and women, split evenly between the sexes, from tier 1 and 2 cities in China who had either travelled to Europe in the past 12 months or were planning to travel to Europe in the next 12 months.

Sales to Chinese shoppers at McArthurGlen's Designer Outlets across eight countries in Europe rose by 99% last year, with favourite destinations being Designer Outlet Roermond in the Netherlands, near the German border, followed by Serravalle Designer Outlet, near Milan, and Designer Outlet Parndorf near Vienna.

Last year McArthurGlen opened sales & marketing representative offices in Beijing and Shanghai, part of McArthurGlen's global network which also includes Moscow, Seoul and São Paulo. The offices work closely with local tourist companies, as well as national and regional European tourist boards and organisations to ensure that a visit to a McArthurGlen Designer Outlet is on the itinerary of every savvy fashion lover before they leave home for Europe.

Anthony Rippingale, McArthurGlen's Head of Tourism, says: "The Chinese traveller loves to go shopping for luxury when they come to Europe, and for them, as the study reveals, their number one priority is to find a good selection of top luxury brands clustered together, with customer service and accessibility also being key factors. To provide our Chinese shoppers with a shopping experience to meet and to exceed their expectations, it is very important to understand what they are looking for in terms of the proposition of our centres as well as the experience."

The survey also reveals:

-Shopping for fashion is the most popular holiday activity for the Chinese tourist in Europe after sightseeing, and visiting museums and art galleries.

-While a third (32%) of those who had been to Europe in the last 12 months went shopping in a designer outlet, this rose to two thirds (64%) for those who went shopping for fashion.

-Their most popular destination, for those who had already visited Europe and those planning a trip, was France, followed by Italy and the UK in joint second place, and then Germany.

- They tend more towards buying luxury brands while on holiday rather than when they go fashion shopping at home.

- A significant number of respondents used tour operators for at least part of their trip, although about a third arranged their own flights and accommodation separately.

- The brand range, in terms of numbers and the mix, is the most important factor together with customer service and accessibility, as well as the shopping atmosphere, when Chinese tourists go shopping, with the savings available on luxury and premium brands being important but not among the most important factor when shopping.