Dubai: Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), formerly known as the Dubai Shopping Festival Office, said on Sunday that 3.35 million visitors came for the festival, an increase of 4.6 per cent over the 2008 edition.
While visitor spending was down 2 per cent from 2008 figures due to the slump in consumer confidence, the global economic downturn had minimal impact.
Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of the Dubai Shopping Festival Supreme Committee said, "It just goes to prove the unshakable popularity of DSF, and that Dubai will always be an attractive shopping and tourism destination for tourists.
"We can attribute these impressive results to the solid collaboration between the public and private sectors in Dubai towards ensuring the success of the event, a key factor that has always been pivotal in the success story of DSF along the years," he said.
"The results of DSF 2009 are a testimony that DSF can motivate the retail and tourism sectors in Dubai against all odds."
Piyush Mathur, managing director of retail researcher, AC Neilson, said that the results show the significant strength of the city's retail sector, especially given the challenging economic situation of 2009.
The decrease in consumer spending can be attributed to the steep discounts and promotions offered by retailers and hotels that, while giving visitors a tremendous deal and more value for money, also resulted in a slight drop of overall spending figures, said Laila Suhail, chief executive of DEPE.
Around 35 million visitors have spent close to Dh74 billion between DSF 1996 and DSF 2009.
