JEDDAH, 26 May 2003 — “Big fun for the little ones” is the theme of the upcoming Dubai Summer Surprise (DSS 2003), which begins on June 19.
Every year a range of activities is unveiled for families and children to enjoy. This year, the DSS office has added five new surprises, Ibrahim Saleh, chief operating officer of DSS told a press conference here yesterday.
The DSS 2003, scheduled from June 19 to Aug. 29, comprises, Flower Surprises by the Dubai Municipality from June 19-25, Cartoon Surprises by the Dubai Ports and Customs Authority from June 26-July 2, Color Surprises by the Department of Health and Medical Services from July 3-9 and Sweet Surprises by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing from July 10-16.
Expecting a big turnout of visitors from the Kingdom and other parts of the Middle East-Gulf region, Saleh said the success of the DSS could be gauged from the dramatic increase in visitors and sales turnover.
The inaugural DSS in 1998 attracted more than 600,000 visitors and the participating malls recorded a 50 percent increase in traffic and 30 percent increase in sales. It maintained increases over the years, and in 2002 the number of visitors reached 1.5 million and sales crossed 1.30 billion dirhams.
Dubai hotels also achieved record occupancy levels with tourism events such as the DSS and the DSF. Under the supervision of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, hotel and hotel apartments offer a special summer price ranging from $30 to $150, in addition to free nights, free stay for children, complimentary breakfast and free transfers to DSS venues. There are nearly 40 hotels and a dozen hotel apartments participating in the DSS.
