By Aya Lowe, Staff Reporter www.gulfnews.com
Dubai: Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) organisers and participants are taking advantage of online tools to promote and generate awareness about their activities during the festival.
According to a study by YouGov commissioned by the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (Depe), last year’s festival brought in Dh15.1 billion to Dubai’s economy and a similar figure is expected this year.
In order to generate that hefty sum, the Depe has spent Dh70 million in the past year on promoting DSF through local and overseas events in London, the GCC and Asia. This year sees the organisation increasingly harnessing the power of the internet to create awareness and attract consumers.
Last year, DEPE launched an online Dubai calendar, the first official reference for all events including festivals, exhibitions, cultural and sport happening throughout the year in Dubai. As DSF unfolds, the calendar has been a invaluable tool for promoting the various events and promotions run during the festival.
According to Dubai Events, the total number of visits between December 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012 to the website reached 61,750 with 79.29 per cent of the visits being unique. In the run-up to DSF, visits to the website featuring the festivals events increased by 20 per cent. More info
