DSS projected to draw 5% more visitors

Organisers of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) will spend Dh60 million to ensure Dubai remains the region's top retail destination, organisers said.

Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (Depe), which manages the annual event, told Emirates Business in an e-mailed statement that her office projects a five per cent increase in visitor numbers and consumer expenditure at the 13th edition of the event this year.

"With the global economic slowdown, DSS intends to pro-actively manage the economic challenges with enthusiasm and a strategic approach," she said. "We are expecting an increase in the number of regional tourists, especially from the Gulf, to offset the decrease in international visitors. Gulf tourists are still going to be travelling this summer and they will be looking for value-for-money destinations closer to home."

Suhail cited a study released by CB Richard Ellis last week that put Dubai ahead of Paris and New York as a hotspot for international retail brands, ranking it second worldwide, just after London. While the British capital is home to 56 per cent of the 294 retailers the global property company surveyed, Dubai is a close second with 55 per cent and is attracting brands at a quicker pace, the study said.

Despite attempts to make it a family entertainment event, shopping remains the key attraction of DSS, according to consumers.

Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market earlier this week, Mohammad Al Kamali, Head of Events Planning and Sponsorship at Depe, said 51 per cent of respondents in a customer satisfaction study last year agreed that shopping was the main attraction of DSS followed by entertainment.

And while the festival's budget has been reduced from last year's Dh75m, Suhail said the shorter length of this year's event – 52 days as compared to last year's 65 days – meant there was more money to spend per day.

Last year's event drew 2.2 million visitors, a 4.7 per cent growth over 2008, while the total amount they spent totted up to Dh3.37 billion, or an increase of 0.6 per cent over the previous year. "Low inflation rates in 2009 made it possible for retailers, hotels and entertainment venues to offer huge discounts to families and visitors. Additionally, the H1N1 epidemic was widespread during the middle of 2009 and visitors from the GCC, the strongest market for DSS, chose to travel within the region, especially to Dubai," said Al Kamali. DSS?runs from June 17 until August 7.

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