Mastercard Inc and Visa Inc will rely on China reopening to give travel spending a boost, Wall Street analysts said, as the pace of growth in other parts of the world eases from a post-pandemic boom.

Visa Inc's first-quarter profit beat Wall Street targets on Thursday as its payments volume held steady with Americans still spending on international travel despite an economic slowdown.

Covent Garden has introduced a big splash of colour to brighten up London’s dreary winter days. The major retail area and tourist attraction has introduced a ‘Covent Garden in Colour’ campaign via artist Lois Lillian.

While China has now reopened its borders after more than two years of Covid restrictions, the country is forecast to become a major tourist destination in a report from the World Travel and Tourism Council.

After opening its first store dedicated to luggage and travel accessories in Paris on December 22, Gucci is set to open a store dedicated to bags and accessories in Los Angeles, on Melrose Place.

As Chinese shoppers trickle back to tourist hotspots for Lunar New Year holidays, malls from Macau to Bangkok aim to lure them into stores with red lantern displays, special dances to mark the Year of the Rabbit.

​Burberry’s Q3 update on Wednesday showed a slowdown in sales growth as — like luxury peer Richemont on the same day — it reported a big impact from Covid in China.

Luxury giant Richemont reported Q3 sales up 8% on Wednesday, saying that despite ongoing Chinese weakness, tourists were returning to Europe and Japan.

Leave it to Pitti to herald a fresh luxury concept, in this case Chateau Orlando; an unusual hybrid brand where fashion meets décor and design, and the brainchild of Luke Edward Hall.

​What was 2022 all about? On the surface, a handful of issues: inflation, sustainability, technology, the post-pandemic landscape and Ukraine. But there was a lot more to it, with many key stories still developing.

London is losing the race against Paris and Milan when it comes to attracting exclusive luxury goods and the highest-spending shoppers, the boss of Harrods has said.

The move is likely to affect people traveling for the Lunar New Year holiday, with Chinese shoppers a key source of revenue for European and American stores pre-pandemic.

​Japanese retail sales rose for a ninth straight month in November, data showed on Tuesday, as the lifting of COVID-19 border controls and the government’s domestic travel subsidy helped consumer demand.

Glitz and 1970s cuts were centre-stage this week when Chanel brought a special show to Senegal that places the spotlight on the work of its craftspeople.

More than half of Chinese say they will put off travel abroad, for periods from several months to more than a year, even if borders re-opened tomorrow, a sign that consumer recovery from Covid-19 measures will take time.

​Tax-free shopping among Gen Z consumers is growing faster than for any other age group, new research from software and payments specialist Planet shows.