Foreign visitors may do their shopping at home

International tourists account for 30 percent of visitors to New York City each year but more than half of total spending among visitors — meaning if they cut back, it's a larger hit.

"The retail industry is going to be the first one hurt when people come in to visit New York City because people are going to be spending money on experiences, not material things," said Kimberly Spell, head of public affairs for NYC & Co., the city's tourism and marketing organization. "That will probably hold for a lot of other cities too."

Some retailers are using targeted marketing to attract international tourists who know they want to travel and are searching for bargains.

Minnesota's Mall of America has its own tourism department that works with tour operators and visitor bureaus to encourage visits, and some mall employees visit countries to promote additional traffic.

"We see this as being another strong holiday season for international visitors to Mall of America," said spokesman Dan Jasper.

At least 3 million international shoppers from places like Canada, Britain, Mexico, Japan and South Korea visit the Mall of America every year, he said, with about 1 million of them coming between Thanksgiving and New Year's. He said the fact that Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing and shoes gives travelers an extra incentive to spend.

George John, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, said Mall of America has advertised itself as a destination for locals and international tourists, which should help protect a bit from economic weakness.

But John warned that some international tourists may decide to postpone their trips until the economy improves.

"I'm absolutely confident there's not a single person from Iceland shopping at Mall of America right now. I doubt being a destination will make you completely immune," John said.

Many outlet stores also specifically target tourists by teaming up with tour companies and offering brands that are popular with international shoppers.

Rachel Dowling of Dublin, Ireland, came with a group of her friends to shop at Woodbury Commons, an outlet mall about an hour outside New York City with over 220 stores. The center works closely with tour operators and attracts shoppers from all over the world, especially Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Dowling, 22, came to buy clothes, purses and shoes at stores including Timberland, Guess, Adidas, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger.

"We decided to come only about a month ago because everyone was talking about how good the prices were," said Dowling. "We've found lots of discounts so far, and we're only halfway done."

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