DUBAI HAS TRANSFERRED ON THE YEAR ROUND OF FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS, ACTIVELY BUILDING NEW HOTELS, SHOPPING COMPLEXES AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS. THE WORK BOILS, AND EVERYTHING FOR A UNIVERSE PURPOSE IS TO DO TWO THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS, UP TO 20 MILLION PEOPLE, BY 2020.
About Dubai's plans - Leila Suheil, Head of the Emirate's Festival Activities and Retail Development Agency
Madame Suheil, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum set the task to double the inbound tourist flow to the emirate by 2020. What is the role of festivals and holidays?
Dubai attaches great importance to festivals and cultural events. They help to develop trade and tourism - the main engines of the emirate’s economy, and indirectly affect other industries. Our agency was established in 1996. Then the first "Dubai Trade Festival" was held. Today we have a huge number of events and activities throughout the year. I am sure that if we work even harder and create more festivals, we can achieve the goal set by the ruler of Dubai. In any case, make a significant contribution to its achievement.
What will surprise the Dubai Trade Festival this time?
The 19th festival will be held from January 2 to February 2, 2014. All retail operators, hotels and travel companies are involved in its preparation. They are preparing to adequately meet millions of guests and customers from all over the world and guarantee an unforgettable experience from the New Year holidays. In the first year of operation, the Dubai Trade Festival attracted 1.6 million visitors who spent 2.5 billion dirhams (US $ 683 million).
And in 2012 there were already 4.3 million guests who bought goods worth 14.7 billion dirhams (US $ 4 billion). In total, since 1996, 47 million people have enjoyed the extravaganza of shopping and entertainment, and the volume of purchases reached 114 billion dirhams (US $ 31.1 billion). Russians traditionally remain leaders in terms of spending, and we hope that more tourists from Russia will visit us this year. After all, for them, winter is a traditional vacation time in Dubai. Believe me, the next shopping festival will be even more interesting and exciting!
The Russians are big fans of opera and ballet ...
If you look at our annual calendar, you will find entertainment for every taste. We know that thousands of classical and ballet fans live in Dubai. For them, this year the successful tour of the Crown of Moscow Ballet Theater took place: they showed the classic masterpiece Swan Lake. Its ballet performances and classical music concerts are famous for the Madinat Jumeirah Theater. The concerts of the El Divo collective, opera tenor Alessandro Safina, multi-instrumentalist Yanni were successfully held. Again, I would like to emphasize one of the leading roles of Russian creative groups in the cultural life of Dubai.
What can Dubai offer families with young children today?
Of course, we strive to turn Dubai into a year-round tourist destination for the whole family. Therefore, our efforts are aimed at developing infrastructure and supporting traditional family values, regardless of nationality. We know that families prefer places where everyone will find something to do for the whole day. Therefore, we pay special attention to the quality of leisure, so that Dubai is loved from an early age and for life.
It is generally believed that Dubai is a traditional destination for shopping and beach holidays. What other component would you add to this formula to attract tourists?
Almost all of our events are “on three pillars”: buy, win and have fun. And the second component, namely prize and money lotteries, could become a success factor. Therefore, over the past years, the largest festivals and events have been accompanied by prize draws in the millions. And for this I would like to thank our partners!
