The 19th edition of the widely popular Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) gets underway Thursday with its organisers aiming to make it a global retail success.
"In the last few years we have witnessed the number of visitors to the Dubai Shopping Festival averaging around four million and we are anticipating an increase of 5 to 10 per cent during the 19th edition of the DSF Jan 2-Feb 2," said Laila Mohammed Suhail, chief executive officer of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
Suhail added that since it was launched in 1996, the DSF has attracted around 51 million participants, residents and visitors, who have spent just under 130 billion dirhams (around $35 billion), whether it was for shopping, hospitality or on entertainment.
"DFRE has adopted a number of strategies to promote DSF 2014 to attract visitors from our regional and international markets, and also ensure that when they leave Dubai they feel enriched and are able to take home great memories," she told the Khaleej Times.
"One of our key strategies is to put the spotlight back on the shopping element of the DSF and for this we have adopted a new theme, 'Shop at your Best', aimed at showcasing Dubai as a tourism destination that offers multiple and unique shopping experiences."
DSF 2014 is offering discounts at 70 malls and over 6,000 retail outlets across this west Asian metropolis, to 150 kinds of entertainment programmes.
DFRE also launched a global marketing campaign that relies heavily on digital communication channels, including a new look website, to promote the 32-day DSF 2014 to families and tourists across the world, especially in the strategic markets of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Russia, India, China, Hong Kong and South Africa.
The shopping festival's sole aim is to boost the retail sector on a global scale, explained Suhail.
"Since it was launched in 1996, DSF has supported the growth of Dubai's retail sector. DFRE's mandate has also grown from merely organising festivals to setting clear directions and policies for the continued growth of the retail sector, paving the way for enhanced cooperation with the trade on ways of boosting Dubai's retail sector," she said.
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