BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI - Ask travelers from the United Kingdom what they do during a visit to the United States and odds are nine out of 10 will reply �shop.� It�s a fact, nearly 90 percent of British travelers shop during their visit to America�s shores, according to Taubman Centers, Inc., a leading U.S. shopping center developer, and the United States Department of Commerce.

The two organizations teamed up to evaluate international travelers and their spending habits. This 2003 study is a follow-up to a similar report developed in 1997 on the correlation between shopping and cultural/heritage tourism. It compares and contrasts shoppers and cultural shoppers visiting the United States in 2003 versus 1997 and examines market size, trip planning, travel characteristics, travel behavior and expenditures.

Just-released findings show that Americans can thank their friends across the pond for boosting their economic bottom line. The United Kingdom represented 22 percent of total overseas visitors in 2003. It also generated more shoppers (3.5 million) to the United States than any other market. That�s a 6 percent increase in total British travel and a 7 percent increase in British shopper travel over 1997. The U.K. market and Mexico were the only countries to generate more shoppers to the United States in 2003 than in 1997. Other countries atop the list are Japan, Mexico (air only), Germany, France, and the Republic of Korea.

Not surprisingly, the United Kingdom also led all other countries in producing the most �cultural shoppers� to the United States -- those who not only shop, but who also participate in a cultural or ethnic heritage activity -- to the tune of 1.3 million in 2003. That�s more than double the number from runner-up Germany and far outdistances other top markets: Japan, France, Mexico (air), and the Republic of Korea travelers.

The study also distinguishes between British shoppers, cultural shoppers and general travelers from the United Kingdom to America. The average planning time (104 days) for British travelers to the United States is shorter than for shoppers who tend to make their trip decisions and book their reservations earlier than the cultural shoppers from Britain. The planning time in 2003 was about five days less than what is was in 1997. The percentage of shoppers who state they are on a leisure/holiday trip is higher, and the cultural shopper has the highest share of leisure/holiday trips as a purpose of trip.

Some other key facts about British travelers to the United States in general, British shoppers and British cultural shoppers in particular:

� Slightly more than one-in-five (22 percent) British visitors use a package when traveling to the United States. That proportion increases to one-in-four (25 percent) for British shoppers. However, only 21 percent of British cultural shoppers take advantage of a travel package. Surprisingly, packages are being used more in 2003 than were used in 1997. � British travelers book airline reservations almost three months in advance of their trips (80 days in advance), while shoppers and cultural shoppers book over a week later (87 to 88 days). � The sources of information used by British holidaymakers to plan their trips have changed dramatically since 1997. In 2003, the use of travel agents was down considerably, and the use of the Internet has skyrocketed. The use of airlines as a source of information increased slightly, whereas the use of friends and relatives as an information source to plan the trip for British shoppers remained relatively the same. � British shoppers are most likely to travel with a spouse (47 percent), as are British Cultural shoppers (50 percent). In both cases, family and/or relatives are the second-most popular travel companions. � More than 80 percent of British shoppers stay in a hotel for at least part of their trip. The average length of stay in the United States was 12 to 14 nights. � Of the 25 activities tracked, shopping won big. How big? By all calculations, for 2003, 15.6 million overseas (excluding Canada) visitors to the United States shopped while they were in the country, spending $5.8 billion on gifts and souvenirs. That�s an average of $347 per person, per trip. Cultural shoppers spent over $1.8 billion on gifts and souvenirs. The top spenders were the U.K., Japan, Germany, Republic of Korea and Mexico (air) shoppers. � One fifth (21 percent) of those surveyed visited the United States for the first time in 2003. � Florida was the favorite state for British travelers and British shoppers in 2003. But those travelers interested in combining shopping with cultural tourism picked New York as their top destination. Other popular states for British shoppers include California, Nevada and Massachusetts. Only New York and Nevada gained market share between 1997 and 2003, which helped New York replace California as the second most popular destination for shoppers. � Fifty-five percent of the shoppers are male travelers whose average age is 45. The average household income is $92,800, a $15,000 increase over 1997 that propels the UK to the top of the annual income list.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and Taubman Centers have published data on the top 11 markets to the U.S. from the 2003 International Air Traveler Survey, providing an in-depth profile of the shoppers and cultural shoppers to the United States. For the complete study visit: Summary - http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/FactSheet/1204/tourism1_122004.html Profile - http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/FactSheet/1204/tourism2_122004.html Order Form - http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/FactSheet/1204/tourism3_122004.pdf

�The United States has increasingly welcomed more visitors from the United Kingdom,� said Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Baker. �We greatly appreciate our economic and cultural relationship with the visitors from the United Kingdom, which further builds knowledge, friendship and understanding over time.�

One reason for Taubman�s interest in the survey�s findings is so the company can continue to fine-tune its product for international visitors. Taubman offers everything from hotel/shopping/entertainment packages and itinerary planning to currency exchange, size-conversion charts and multilingual services in many of its shopping centers. �It's clear that U.K. travelers play a significant role in the American retail marketplace,� explains Karen Mac Donald, Director, Communications at Taubman. �This study illustrates the value of combining both shopping and cultural tourism to create a more well rounded travel experience for U.K. travelers.�

Taubman Centers, Inc., (NYSE:TCO) a real estate investment trust, currently owns and/or manages 22 premiere shopping centers in 10 states. Taubman Centers is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Visit our website at: www.taubmanworldclassshopping.com. The U.S. Department of Commerce provides three primary functions that are used to measure the economic contributions that international visitors bring to the U.S. economy: conducting and issuing international research; advancing national and global tourism policy development; and to marketing the United States as a destination for international travelers. Visit the OTTI website at: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/.

Karen Mac Donald Director, Communications Taubman Centers, Inc., 248-258-7469 (phone) 248-258-7697 (fax) kmacdonald@taubman.com www.taubmanworldclassshopping.com

Matt Englehart Communications Director U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Admin. 202-482-2271 (phone) 202-482-5819 (fax) matt.englehart@mail.doc.gov

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