Dubai’s festivals on show at Arabian Travel Market

DUBAI- Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), has teamed up with its strategic and retail partners to promote Dubai’s world-class festival offerings at this week’s Arabian Travel Market.

DFRE is part of the Dubai stand at ATM 2014 and is joined at the stand by some of its strategic and retail partners for the duration of the exhibition.

The event will serve as an ideal platform to present DFRE’s exciting line-up of festivals and celebrations and also highlights its achievements and milestones to a global audience of travel trade and hospitality experts attending this annual tourism industry exhibition.

DFRE will provide information about its summer calendar to ATM visitors, starting with the 15^th edition of Modhesh World, Ramadan in Dubai, Eid in Dubai and the ever-popular Dubai Summer Surprises. Visitors will also get a peek into the other major festivals of DFRE – the Dubai Motor Festival in November and the milestone 20^th edition of the world-famous Dubai Shopping Festival at the dawn of 2015, before the excitement reaches a peak with Dubai Food Festival in February.

During the event, DFRE will hold special meetings with industry professionals, buyers and members of the international media to brief them on DFRE’s role in retail and tourism development and its 2014-2015 line-up of festivals and celebrations.  DFRE will also host a workshop to provide details of its festivals and initiatives undertaken on behalf of the retail sector to representatives of DTCM’s Overseas Offices who will be in Dubai during ATM. The summer festivals organized by DFRE will complement the global destination marketing drive, entitled “Summer is Dubai” that is being undertaken by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing to position Dubai as a summer destination of choice for tourists from around the world.

Laila Suhail, CEO of Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment, said,“As the leading regional event for the travel industry, the Arabian Travel Market provides DFRE an excellent opportunity to highlight its line-up of festivals and celebrations, and further enhance our efforts to develop festivals and retail as key drivers of tourism growth in the emirate, in line with the Tourism Vision of 2020.

“We are truly grateful to our strategic and retail partners for joining us at Arabian Travel Market to highlight the calibre of our world class festival offerings and help position Dubai as a tourism destination offering unique shopping and entertainment experiences. The private sector has always participated with great passion to help transform our festivals into huge successes year after year, and they are eagerly looking forward to offering exciting activities and promotions for visitors during the summer season.  Such collaboration is one of the main reasons why Dubai has been able to stage festivals of the highest quality and become more attractive to shoppers and tourists from the region and around the world.  ATM also gives us the perfect platform to explain to the industry the way DFRE collaborates with the retail sector in Dubai to help drive tourism growth,”  Laila Suhail added.

“Tourists are an increasingly important audience for Majid Al Futtaim, representing up to 25 percent of the shoppers at our centres in Dubai,” said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Senior Director, Property Management – Shopping Malls for Majid Al Futtaim – Properties. “As a key strategic partner of DFRE, Majid Al Futtaim is committed to promoting the tourism aspirations of the emirate by providing superior retail and leisure experiences at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif, as showcased through our participation at Arabian Travel Market.”

Ms. Nisreen Boustani, PR & Corporate Communications Manager of Mercato said: “Arabian Travel Market 2014 kicks off on a high note in Dubai and Mercato is proud to be a part of this leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East.  DFRE is hosting its strategic partners to showcase Dubai’s retail strengths to the international travel trade visitors and we are confident it will be exceptionally successful. Mercato as a Strategic Partner will get the chance to explore strategic opportunities and network with specialists from the shopping and tourism sectors. We look forward to a spectacular Arabian Travel Market, which will continue to make the emirate a key attraction for visitors from around the world.”

“During ATM 2014, Dubai Festival City will showcase its world-class offerings, which include the finest residential freehold properties, an award winning 18-hole golf course, two 5 star hotels and Dubai Festival City Mall, one of the most attractive shopping and leisure destinations in the Emirate. This is not our first participation at the Arabian Travel market, which is the ideal venue to promote Dubai Festival City as a must-visit leisure and entertainment hub for all UAE residents and tourists. We invite trade participants as well as everyone attending this year’s exhibition to come to the stand to gather insight on our fantastic development,” said Murray Bell, Managing Director, Retail, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate.

Sunny Chittilappilly, Chairman, Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group, said:  “Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group was established in the year 1996 with the support of Dubai Economic Department to support the first edition of DSF as a trade community. Since then DGJG has been closely associated with Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment, particularly for DSF for the past 19 years as a key sponsor. Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and various other government organisations have been constantly working towards promoting inbound tourism and commercial activities in this exciting city.  Similarly, DGJG has been playing an important role in enriching the shopping festival’s events by offering spectacular prizes that have contributed to positioning Dubai as the City of Gold and the jewellery destination of the world. The gold raffle draw is one of the most exciting features of DSF, which has changed the lives of many.”

He added,”We believe that ATM is a great platform to let the world know what Dubai offers in terms of leisure, shopping, business and travel. As one of the most prominent trade bodies in Dubai, It is an honour and privilege for Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group to support these initiatives that benefit retailers, inbound tourists and local customers alike.”

“It’s a pleasure to participate with Dubai Festival and Retail Establishment (DFRE) at the ATM again this year. Our strategic partnership with DFRE and presence at ATM reflects our commitment to further support Dubai’s retail and tourism sectors. In our efforts to promote Dubai as a quintessential shopping destination, Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) will host a spectacular promotion starting pre-summer and will extend up to Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) and Eid. Total prizes worth AED 5 million is planned for the entire season and we are confident that our valued-customers will have several opportunities to avail themselves of the mega winnings,” said Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Shopping Malls Group.