Dubai Shopping Festival increasingly up-market

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Gulf visitors to Dubai Shopping Festival are increasingly-affluent and in search of a compelling combination of high-end experiences that differentiate one premier destination from another, says a global destination promotion expert.

From visits to some of the world’s latest attractions, five-star hotels and top international restaurants to luxury shopping, Dubai’s Shopping Festival is pulling in more buyers spending more money during lengthier stays.

“Dubai’s annual Dubai Shopping Festival has done a great job over the last several years to attract and retain the right types of visitors,” said Dubai-based Mohammed Hafez Marican, Area Director Middle East and Africa of Singapore’s Tourism Board, the group responsible for promoting the world-famous Great Singapore Sale.

“Visitors from the Gulf can relax and satisfy their shopping needs while also absorbing Dubai’s reassuringly-comfortable heritage and culture.  It’s also got a tremendously safe and clean environment, and there really is something here for everyone,” Marican added.

As organizers of one of the world’s most famous shopping festivals, the Great Singapore Sale, the island nation’s tourism board knows what attracts affluent global shoppers – top attractions, premier hotels, excellent dining options, and, of course, luxury brand shopping.

Much like Dubai’s Shopping Festival begun in 1996, the Great Singapore Sale was created by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1994 as an attempt to attract the world’s top-tier tourists, those with discretionary spending power that allows them to stay longer and spend more, particularly in the city’s premier retail establishments, of which there are many.

“We’ve known for a while what attracts top-tier spenders to Singapore, and, more than any other element, it is international luxury brands which draw top buyers to truly global shopping festivals,” added Marican.

Singapore’s Orchard Road is a virtual byword for luxury shopping, and with the recent opening of ION Orchard on the Orchard Road belt, the Great Singapore Sale will also feature an extra 66,000 sq meters of retail offerings at this stylish venue.  This stunningly futuristic mall is home to Dior Homme, Louis Vuitton, and Diane von Furstenberg, among other high-end retailers.

Other Orchard Road neighbours include Paragon, home to Jimmy Choo, Coach, Gucci, and Tods; DFS Galleria Scottswalk with Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Ferragamo Salvatore, Burberry, Dunhill, Cartier, Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co., Chopard and Loewe; and Palais Renaissance with DKNY, Gianni Versace and Prada.

“What we are doing differently now is making it even easier for affluent tourists to visit more regularly and stay longer, spending more money on each visit.  To accomplish this goal – particularly with Gulf visitors – Singapore has had to do a better job of highlighting all our other world-class features, namely accommodation, dining, and attractions.”

An ever-evolving destination, Singapore boasts dozens of five-star hotels, among them Shangri-La, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and St. Regis;  Michelin-starred restaurants, but also trendy spots such as Wild Rocket, Iggy’s Restaurant, and Cut Singapore; and some of the world’s finest entertainment, such as the newly-opened Universal Studios Singapore theme park, Marina Bay Sands and Sands Sky Park, and ArtScience Museum.

The Great Singapore Sale 2012 starts in late May and runs through July.