Foreign visitors were at the forefront of the Boxing Day sales surge yesterday as they took advantage of deep price cuts. Chinese, Middle Eastern and African shoppers targeted designer clothes and handbags with discounts of 70 per cent and more. It represented a complete reverse of the heady days when British shoppers flocked to destinations such as New York to take advantage of the strong pound.

Now, thanks to good exchange rates and booming overseas economies, London has become the number one destination for luxury goods tourism.