Dubai Summer Surprises, the most popular summer event in the Mena region, attracted a record 4.36 million shoppers who spent Dh12.3 billion ($3.34 billion) during the 32-days extravaganza, said a report.

From 3.95 million in 2011, the number of people that interacted with DSS 2012 rose by 10.4 per cent to 4.36 million for the one month event, out of which 914,228 were international and regional visitors to Dubai while the remaining 3.4 million came from across the UAE, said Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai DTCM, citing a survey data.

Commissioned by DFRE and conducted and independently audited by  independent global research firm YouGov, the DSS 2012 study surveyed 1201 regional and international visitors and 1319 residents and was designed to question participants about their overall view of DSS, the best attractions and their perceptions of the best activities within DSS.

According to the survey, DSS remains firm favourite amongst local, regional and international visitors and is part of Dubai’s 2020 tourism strategy to attract 20 million visitors a year, as the emirate gears up for this year's edition starting from June 7.

It will last until July 7 offering a fun packed month of family focused activities as part of the wider “Summer Is Dubai” campaign already launched by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.

Commenting on the survey results, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, the president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group and chairman of Dubai World said: "The most impressive rise came in the expenditure of the visitors during DSS 2012 which saw a year-on-year increase of 39.9 per cent with spending increasing from Dh8.8 billion in 2011 to Dh12.3 billion in 2012, demonstrating the major contribution that DSS continues to make to the Dubai economy."

"The success of Dubai in the summer shows the powerful attraction of Dubai as a truly year-round visitor destination," he stated.

"We know that promoting Dubai in the summer has traditionally raised a few eyebrows and seen a sceptical response from some people. Indeed for some, it is almost as unusual as promoting the North Pole as a winter destination. But that is the beauty of Dubai: its ability to redefine what the word ‘Impossible’ means," said Sheikh Ahmed.

" The fact that almost three out of four of our international visitors described their summer holiday in Dubai as ‘excellent’ says it all," he added.

He pointed out that the twin pillars of tourism and retail were two of the most important foundations for the historic, present and future success of the economic prosperity of Dubai.

"These pillars have been greatly enhanced by the development of world class transport, accommodation and other infrastructure here helping visitors to easily move around and enjoy the many events that Dubai offers both during the summer period and all year round," he noted.

“The far sighted and visionary approach of the Government of Dubai in planning for the future continues to reap rewards with the highly integrated partnership between the public and private sectors ensuring a true recipe for ongoing success and a commitment to a shared vision of the future,” Sheikh Ahmed added.

Researchers attributed the rise in expenditure to the overall increase in visitor numbers and a significant increase in spending on the food and beverage sector allied to a sharp increase in the spending on leisure and entertainment of Dh1.39 million.

Retail spending rose by just over Dh2 billion and this rise is partly attributable to the 52 per cent of visitors planning their trip to Dubai around DSS compared to 17 per cent a year earlier – and putting aside a larger “shopping budget” to take advantage of the great deals during DSS.

The comprehensive study into the impact of last year’s DSS was commissioned to assess the  impact of the festival and to research what visitors want to experience to help to continually enhance and make Dubai Summer Surprises even more fun and more rewarding.

The study contains a substantial amount of fascinating data on the event following interviews with local, regional and international visitors who participated in the festival.

Areas of focus of the study included finding out participants' most popular attractions, events, where they stay, transport and spending habits when experiencing what Dubai has to offer in Summer.

DTCM director general Helal Almarri said: “We are delighted with the overwhelming positive response to DSS from local residents, regional and international visitors who took part in this research project. These results come at a time when the Government of Dubai is providing more support than ever before to the festivals and events industry as it is a vital element of Dubai’s vibrant tourism sector."

"Looking back at the history of achievements and successes that DSS has registered as a summer attraction, it is imperative for us to continue developing and elevating the standards of our offerings to maintain our regional leadership as a preferred summer destination," he noted.    

This year’s DSS will be the first since the renaming of DEPE to officially become the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) as part of DTCM.

CEO Laila Mohd Suhail said: "As our team prepares for this year’s DSS, everyone is tremendously encouraged by the feedback we have received regarding last year’s event and the impact that it has had on the economic fortunes of Dubai. As the organisers of DSS we set ourselves the annual challenge of enhancing the next edition and making it even more family focused and enjoyable, and it is clear that the public recognise and appreciate our efforts in this regard."

“The four weeks of DSS are packed full of the most exciting and enjoyable activities for families, an occasion that is rapidly becoming a ‘must-do’ event on the schedule for visitors from the region, local residents and increasingly from international markets.

“As a city Dubai is built for summer which is why our guests are able to enjoy such a multitude of fun-packed events in air conditioned comfort, benefit from great special offers and use our fantastic transport network to easily move from location to location,” said Suhail.-TradeArabia News Service