Clash of dates of the Dubai Shopping Festival with the Mumbai Festival and lack of purchasing power may see the latter getting a lukewarm response.
The clash of dates of the annual Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) with the two-year-old Mumbai Festival (MF) and the lack of purchasing power among people may see the latter getting a lukewarm response.
The DSF will be held from January 4 to February 4, 2006 and the MF from January 14 to 26. Many Indians who have visited the Arabian desert jamboree and also been a part of the MF feel the 11-year-old DSF offers a lot more in all respects.
“The MF organisers should have scheduled it in December when the city is flooded with NRIs, domestic and international tourists. It also coincides with Christmas and New Year,” said a real estate agent Sunil Bajaj, who has been at both the festivals. He said the organisers should have considered the shopping habits of people rather than selecting dates arbitrarily.
Diamond trader Asim Shah, who was at the MF last year felt, said the DSF was more organised and transparent. “The buying capacity of people reduces by January as they have already spent on several festivals by then. Also, tax formalities and getting children back to schools begin from January,” he said.
Rajeev Kapadia, an investor and chemical trader from Pune, said, “Before talking high about the MF, the organisers must understand that such huge festivals cannot be organised on playgrounds.”
But chairman of Mumbai Festival Committee (MFC) Kamal Morarka rubbished the contention that the MF is aping the DSF. “We are working towards making it an exclusive and entertaining event rather than only a shopping festival,” he said.
“The state’s tourism agents abroad are popularising the festival. Also, Air India is showcasing the highlights of the festival on its flights worldwide. But more than the foreigners, we feel the local people should come out and enjoy at the MF.” The MFC hopes to make the festival a world-class event with a distinctly local flavour and character. “We aspire to showcase the vibrancy of Mumbai to its residents and visitors alike,” Morarka said.
The MF has lined up a series of events, including live performances by classical performers at the Gateway of India, food festival with food courts across the city, shopping festival at retail outlets and malls with special discounts, children’s festival with special carnivals and puppet shows, along with sports, films and theatre festivals.
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