IT’S that time of the year again for Dubai, as the emirate celebrates the 20th edition of the unique-to-the-region Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). Launched in 1996 to promote the emirate as a destination for family tourism, DSF is organised annually under the universal theme of “One World. One Family. One Festival”. DSF was also one of the first initiatives that helped put Dubai on the world map as a shopping destination.
Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment’s (DFRE) international marketing campaign to promote DSF this year targeted the key markets of China, Russia and India as well as countries in the Middle East and North Africa. From 1996 to 2014, DSF attracted 56 million visitors, with a total spending of Dh145 billion ($39.4 billion). Meanwhile, another initiative of the DFRE, the Dubai Food Festival, is set to return with an expanded 23-day programme (February 6 to 28) of food-related events, activities and promotions. Internationally renowned celebrity chefs will be in attendance at this second chapter, including Silvena Rowe, Sanjeev Kapoor, Manal Al Alem and Jason Atherton. LUXURYApart from a world-famous retail hotspot, the emirate has also emerged as a luxury holiday destination of choice. A 2014 YouGov Luxury Travel report for the Middle East and North Africa region showed that out of the 1,000-plus regionally based survey respondents, Dubai ranked first as the preferred upscale destination.Taking place from May 4 to 7 this year at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Arabian Travel Market will include a two-day International Luxury Travel Market programme with a series of pre-scheduled appointments and dedicated luxury travel focused seminars and panel debates to run from May 5 to 6.MEDICAL TOURISMClinics in the UAE are receiving an influx of patients from the GCC, the Middle East, Russia and Europe for aesthetic surgery. Procedures such as dimple creation, breast augmentation and rhinoplasty are in increasing demand. With technology developments shortening the post-surgical recovery time, patients are now able to return home sooner.Dr Matteo Vigo, chief of surgery, chief medical officer and plastic surgeon, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Hospital, Dubai, says: “To date, around 25 per cent of our patients seeking surgical procedures are from abroad. They come predominantly from the surrounding GCC countries, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar leading the way, as well as Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Patients from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent states are also in the top 10 nationalities that look for reliable cosmetic services offered at our hospital.”EVENTSDubai’s world-class event infrastructure was internationally recognised with the Crystal Award, one of the highest awards in the incentive travel industry, at the SITE Global Conference held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The prestigious award for best ‘Distinctive Destination – Best Destination Based Experiential Incentive Travel Program’ was awarded for Dubai’s excellence in hosting the UAE’s largest-ever incentive group. During April of this year Dubai hosted 14,500 attendees, who had travelled from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as guests of Nu Skin, a skin care company celebrating its 30th anniversary. The logistics for the event included 77 flights, including two full Emirates A380 charters, 40,000 room nights in 40 hotels, and over 370 coaches escorted the guests on a full city tour of Dubai, a dhow cruise, and a visit to The Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah. In addition, the group enjoyed gala dinners in groups of 7,500 at the Bab Al Shams Desert Arena, and held educational seminars at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).AVIATIONHowever, it will be the aviation industry that will play an important part in Dubai’s growth, it emerges in global research firm Oxford Economics’ latest report “Quantifying the Economic Impact of Aviation in Dubai”. Between 2015 and 2020, the contribution of the aviation sector to Dubai’s economy is expected to grow at a faster rate than the economy as a whole, on the back of strong growth in international passenger traffic and cargo. The sector’s airline and airport capacity continues to expand to accommodate for growing demand. Using industry growth forecasts and modelling projections based on current expansion plans for Dubai International and Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central, it is estimated that the overall economic impact of both aviation and tourism-related activities will rise to a robust $53.1 billion in 2020. This will be equivalent to 37.5 per cent of Dubai’s GDP, supporting over 754,500 Dubai-based jobs. Looking further ahead, the total economic impact of aviation by 2030 is projected to grow to $88.1 billion and will support 1,194,700 jobs. Staff report