Global Village eyes over 7m visitors as new season set to begin in October; ticket prices remain unchanged at Dh15
Dubai's Global Village is targeting a footfall of over 7 million visitors this year for its silver jubilee edition, and has opened registrations for more than 2,000 opportunities to investors, a senior official said.
"Registration is open and running. We open tenders in phases. We begin with the biggest projects then move on to restaurants and smaller categories. Within two weeks, we are opening our restaurants for tenders, and after that we will have kiosks and trollies, etc. We have opened more than 2,000 business opportunities for registration. The upcoming edition is silver jubilee and we want to make it big," said Khadija Khalifa, senior director commercial at Global Village.
Depending on the current situation and ease of doing business, Khadija expects to see good interest from partners in the upcoming edition.
"Currently, the target is above 7 million visitors. We are coordinating with local authorities to make sure that we achieve these numbers and close the silver jubilee edition on a high note," she added.
The 25th season is scheduled to run from October 2020 to April 2021. The previous edition was closed earlier due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Prospective business minds can take advantage of pavilions, kiosks, restaurants, retail stores, guest services or entertainment outlets, where the majority of businesses over the past seasons have enjoyed over 100 per cent returns on investment, enabling them to expand operations around the park, country and in some cases even the world as a result of starting out at Global Village.
Replying to a query about the entry ticket price, Khadija said the price will remain unchanged at Dh15 per person for the 2020-21 edition. "Entry ticket price is affordable and reaches every single segment. It will be the same for the upcoming edition."
Offers and relief
While economical rates have been extended to partners, the participation has also been made smoother, she added.
"We have enhanced our services and offerings at Happiness Centre, which is a one-stop shop to provide partners with new norms, regulations and consultations," Khadija said, adding that the offers, reliefs and rates vary from cases to case. For example, we look at how India and Pakistan are performing with the Covid-19 situation, immigration and visa process impact as well as customs and goods transactions. Hence, there is no fixed percentage discounts."
She said businesses can start operations without a trade licence but need certificates of approvals from the Dubai Municipality and other relevant authorities.
