The $50 million overhaul, more than three years in the making, sees Burberry, Tiffany & Co, Emporio Armani, and other high-end retailers occupy a thoroughfare leading from immigration clearance to departure gates.

Souvenir stores have been scaled back to make way for higher-end dining options, including Shannon Bennett's Cafe Vue and Movida's Bar Pulpo, a Brunetti cafe and Vietnamese fusion eatery BaXa.

Melbourne Airport's chief of retail Andrew Gardiner said the redevelopment was set in motion 3.5 years ago by research that revealed passengers wanted a higher standard of retail options.

"We then started to look for the international brands that would take Melbourne to an international airport stature," he said.

Melbourne firm NH Architecture is responsible for the design, featuring a high ceiling made from golden triangles, which Mr Gardiner said echoed the city's famous laneways and Federation Square.

There was strong demand for high-end shopping from Asian visitors, with Chinese visitors accounting for 11 per cent of all airport spending . He said about 40 per cent of items bought were gifts for loved ones.

The airport made $160 million from its retail assets last financial year, according to its annual report, accounting for 18.5 per cent of total revenue.

International passenger numbers have grown 46 per cent over the past five years to about 10 million a year, and total passenger numbers are projected to grow from 36.4 million last year to more than 60 million annual by 2033.

The airport's chief executive Lyle Strambi said the redevelopment was part of a number of initiatives to ensure it kept pace with passenger growth.

That included reducing queue times, expanding roadside pickup and drop-off space, building more check-in zones, and opening more boarding gates.

Much of the growth in international traffic in recent years and projected into the future is from China, with eight airlines now flying non-stop to 12 different Chinese mainland cities.

Mr Strambi said he doubted the recent diplomatic spat between the two countries over alleged political interference could threaten the boom in tourism and other industries.

"The ties between Australia and China are really deep, and particularly in Melbourne where those ties go back to education and business investment, and a long history of Chinese involvement," Mr Strambi said.

"You will have these little things that pop up from time to time to challenge certainly the diplomats, but the rest of us tend to get on with business."