Thursday, March 22, 2007

Duty free splurge

A CHINESE man bought carry-on wine and spirits worth a record €23,000 ($38,100) at Paris airport's duty-free shop, including a bottle of 1806 cognac that might have slipped through the fingers of Emperor Napoleon.

The 15-minute duty-free shopping spree included a €5000 bottle of cognac dating back to 1806, when Napoleon ruled France, airport officials said.

The tourist also splashed out on a bottle of epic 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild red wine with a price tag of €13,800 before boarding a scheduled flight to Beijing. Other items in his hand-luggage included a bottle of 1900 Armagnac.

"Most people buy regular wines from Burgundy and so on, but we know this gentleman quite well. He is a collector and an illustrator," said saleswoman Lynda Chong.

"He didn't seem terribly surprised at the price. In a quarter of an hour he made his purchases and left," she said.

The shopper's name was not disclosed.

With travel rebounding from a recession, the operator of Charles de Gaulle airport, ADP, has started stocking up with luxury items and hired 20 personal shoppers to cater to wealthy tourists from China, Japan and Russia.

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