The traditional concept of leisure as a stand-alone entity has shifted and leisure is as much a part of the entire lifestyle destination marketing as well as a central pillar that drives the retail sector, said an industry leader.

“Leisure and entertainment offer a strong growth opportunity for Dubai and the sector is poised for robust growth,” added Arif Amiri, chief executive officer of Dubai-based Emaar Retail.

In an interview with the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment media centre, Arif Amiri added that this has been demonstrated by Emaar Retail through its world-class leisure destinations that contribute to driving visitor footfall to The Dubai Mall, as well as boosting tourism to the city.

The Summer in Dubai initiative has catalysed the city’s tourism, leisure and retail sector, said Amiri.

“In fact, Dubai is a regional trend-setter in integrating leisure, retail and entertainment to offer visitors an unprecedented experience. This year, the response to the Dubai Summer Surprises celebration has been robust with family visitors from the UAE, the GCC region and other key feeder markets driving the leisure and entertainment sector of Dubai,” he added.

Emaar Retail, a premier leisure and entertainment provider in Dubai, hosted an array of entertainment activities, integrating fun with learning at KidZania, Reel Cinemas, Dubai Ice Rink, and Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, that appealed to both young and old.

Emaar Retail’s components have demonstrated strong growth trends Amiri pointed out.

Reel Cinemas welcomed close to two million visitors since December 2010, while Reel Cinemas at the Dubai Marina Mall successfully completed its first year of operation, hosting over 200,000 visitors, and KidZania hosted more than 500,000 visitors since opening a year ago, demonstrating the competencies of the company in developing vibrant leisure destinations, he said. – TradeArabia News Service