Malpensa, 578 million euros in tax-free purchases by non-EU travelers between June and September

Between June and September, travelers from outside the EU spent 578 million euros at Malpensa Airport under tax-free shopping, with over 700,000 VAT refund requests processed. The Customs and Monopolies Agency reported significant volumes, highlighting the importance of shopping tourism. A total of 2.3 million items were purchased, with 717,499 VAT refund requests managed, although 4,403 were denied due to discrepancies or lack of customs validation. The tax refund system, Otello 2.0, aims to streamline the process for travelers, requiring purchases over 70 euros and proper documentation. The majority of tax-free users came from the United States, followed by China and Saudi Arabia.