THE 16th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) campaign kicked off last month, featuring big promotions at participating shopping malls, prizes worth $1.36 million and family-oriented entertainment, to run until July 7, 2013.
Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), DSS is the first instalment of three-month long Summer is Dubai campaign, it was reported in the Gulf News.
The calendar of the DSS also includes Ramadan in Dubai and Eid in Dubai. Modhesh World, a major indoor theme park in the region, Kids Fashion Week, mall shows, theatrical presentations and concerts, among others form the agenda for the extravaganza.
“The success of Dubai in the summer shows the powerful attraction of Dubai as a truly year-round visitor destination,” Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group and chairman of Dubai World was quoted in the report.
Last year, the Dubai Summer Surprises, attracted a record 4.36 million shoppers who spent Dh12.3 billion ($3.34 billion) during the 32-days extravaganza, said a report.
From 3.95 million in 2011, the number of people that interacted with DSS 2012 rose by 10.4 per cent to 4.36 million for the one month event, out of which 914,228 were international and regional visitors to Dubai while the remaining 3.4 million came from across the UAE, said Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai DTCM, citing a survey data.
Commissioned by DFRE and conducted and independently audited by independent global research firm YouGov, the DSS 2012 study surveyed 1,201 regional and international visitors and 1,319 residents and was designed to question participants about their overall view of DSS, the best attractions and their perceptions of the best activities within DSS.
According to the survey, DSS remains firm favourite amongst local, regional and international visitors and is part of Dubai’s 2020 tourism strategy to attract 20 million visitors a year.
Commenting on the survey results, Sheikh Ahmed said: “The most impressive rise came in the expenditure of the visitors during DSS 2012 which saw a year-on-year increase of 39.9 per cent with spending increasing from Dh8.8 billion ($2.39 billion) in 2011 to Dh12.3 billion $3.34 billion) in 2012, demonstrating the major contribution that DSS continues to make to the Dubai economy.”
“The fact that almost three out of four of our international visitors described their summer holiday in Dubai as ‘excellent’ says it all,” he added.
He pointed out that the twin pillars of tourism and retail were two of the most important foundations for the historic, present and future success of the economic prosperity of Dubai.
“These pillars have been greatly enhanced by the development of world class transport, accommodation and other infrastructure here helping visitors to easily move around and enjoy the many events that Dubai offers both during the summer period and all year round,” he noted.
“The far sighted and visionary approach of the Government of Dubai in planning for the future continues to reap rewards with the highly integrated partnership between the public and private sectors ensuring a true recipe for on-going success and a commitment to a shared vision of the future,” Sheikh Ahmed added.
Researchers attributed the rise in expenditure to the overall increase in visitor numbers and a significant increase in spending on the food and beverage sector allied to a sharp increase in the spending on leisure and entertainment of Dh1.39 million ($0.54 billion).
Retail spending rose by just over Dh2 billion ($0.37 billion) and this rise is partly attributable to the 52 per cent of visitors planning their trip to Dubai around DSS compared to 17 per cent a year earlier – and putting aside a larger “shopping budget” to take advantage of the great deals during DSS.