This Is the No. 1 Country to Travel to For Luxury Shopping — and You Can Get 22% Back in Cash

Shopping is a major part of the travel experience. Picking up just the right little trinket as a souvenir feels like a small but important task for most travelers. However, for some people, shopping is the main event — especially bag collectors. 

If you think traveling to buy a bag seems silly, consider this: the global luxury handbag market was valued at over $30 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $50.9 billion by 2031, according to Straits Research. So yes, it’s big. And no, it’s not out of the question to travel to buy that must-have bag.

But where, exactly, should you go? Von Baer, a luxury leather goods brand, and OnTrailVisa, a visa service provider for UK passport holders, have some suggestions.

In October, the two companies released their study, “Where to Take a Vacation while Buying Your Next Bag,” which found the top five countries where travelers can “combine their love for luxury handbags with the perfect vacation.” 

To find the best countries to visit for handbag shopping, the two companies created a seed list of nations known for their craftsmanship and access to top brands, which included Italy, France, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. Then, it used “quantifiable and qualitative factors,” including pricing, brand presence, market growth, and tax incentives, to determine its rankings. 

“Luxury handbags represent status, style, and investment for many consumers,” the two companies wrote in their findings. “The research seeks to assist potential buyers who intend to purchase luxury handbags by combining traveling experiences with smart purchasing strategies in the best countries.” 

After looking at the data, it ranked Italy as its No. 1 choice. 

“Italy is renowned for its iconic luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, and Bottega Veneta. Buying in Italy tends to save money on import duties as well as get much lower local prices,” the findings revealed. The team also noted that non-EU tourists can get a tax refund “amounting to 22 percent on purchases of over a certain amount, thus lowering general costs.” Additionally, it noted Italy’s renowned craftsmanship, meaning your bag is likely produced locally, helping to both support the local economy and potentially save you money. 

In second place is France, home to the Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel flagship stores. This, the two said, means “you can often get a much better price in Paris than if you were to buy elsewhere using local pricing strategies.” France also has its own tax refund scheme, where tourists can get up to a 20 percent refund. 

Japan follows France in third, thanks to its strong demand for luxury and limited-edition goods, Thailand in fourth due to its growing luxury market, and Singapore in fifth, as it’s “considered the Southeast Asia shopping hub for luxury.”

So go ahead and plan a trip just to buy a bag. And hey, at least you can use it as a carry-on for your return flight.