Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing marked the countdown to the landmark 25th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), with a three-city media roadshow across Africa.

A diverse calendar of DSF events was revealed to African audiences in Accra, Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda on December 20, 21 and 22 respectively offering a glimpse into one of the world’s largest retail events, as well as the emirate’s ever-growing portfolio of experiences for leisure travellers.

The 38-day festival is set to feature show-stopping performances, immersive experiences, innovative brand activations and family-friendly celebrations from Thursday, 26 December 2019 and run until Saturday, 1 February 2020.

Shoppers and deal-hunters can find offers of up to 75 per cent off across close to 4,000 outlets of more than 1,000 participating brands and have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with tailor-made brand activations from global fashion, beauty, homeware and lifestyle retailers.

Commenting on the events, Salim Ali Mohamed Dahman, Head of Campaigns - Africa at Dubai Tourism, said, “Dubai continues to rank among the most popular destinations for audiences from across Africa, particularly as we observe retail emerging as a key component of their travel experiences, buoyed by flagship events such as Dubai Shopping Festival.

”To further foster growth from across the African continent, we will continue to leverage our multi-layered marketing strategy to deliver specialised communications programming and bespoke experiences that can bolster Dubai’s world-class shopping credentials.”

The region contributed six per cent to the emirate’s tourism volumes in the first ten months of the year, testament to the success of Dubai’s market diversification strategies, ongoing strategic trade partnerships, bespoke integrated marketing campaigns, always-on social media activations and the diverse portfolio of attractions that continue to experience sustained interest amongst travellers.

Nigeria emerged as the region’s lead contributor and the fastest growing market with a stellar 34 per cent increase in tourist arrivals, cementing its position as the 16^th largest source market for travellers to Dubai.