Big Bus Tours, which operates hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses in Dubai, is projecting an increase of about 30 per cent in its passenger numbers, compared to the same period last year, during the Dubai Shopping Festival period.

“Our peak business months are January to March every year. This is also the period during which DSF is held. We witness a significant increase in our passenger numbers during these months. This year, we are forecasting the increase to be between 20 and 30 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. And we always tend to achieve our targets,” said Ines Zahouani, marketing manager of Big Bus Tours.

She also said that the timing of Dubai Shopping Festival added momentum to the company’s growth in passenger numbers.

Listed as one of the key “Dubai Attractions” in the DSF 2011 calendar of events, The Big Bus operates services every 20 minutes from various landmarks in the city such as Deira City Centre, BurJuman, Wafi, Mall of the Emirates, Gold Souk, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Museum, and Atlantis-The Palm Jumeirah.

The company, one of the largest open-top bus tour operators in the world, currently boasts 25 buses (each with a capacity of up to 75 passengers) in its Dubai fleet having started operations in the emirate in 2002.

In addition to the daily tour, Big Bus Tours is also currently offering a brand new sightseeing experience – The Dubai Night Tour.

The tour on Big Bus offers tourists a perfect opportunity to visit the landmarks of Dubai including museums and heritage sites as well as the glamorous shopping malls. Since winter is also the season when a large number of cruise liners dock in and stop over in Dubai, Big Bus Tours tends to gain a large chunk of its passengers from the cruise tourists segment, Zahouani pointed out.-TradeArabia News Service