DUBAI SUMMER SURPRISES - HIT OR MISS

This year DSF promises to be even bigger and better.  With so much to see and do, this summer residents and visitors alike are in for serious surprises. As always the traditional shop and win prizes, massive discounts of up to 80% in some the mall’s stores and live events and shows such as the cube international juggling show and the stilt percussion parade. However, this year there are two new but this year there are two new interesting surprises; free air tickets for non residents and additional Facebook prizes if you become a fan.

FREE AIR FARE TICKETS: We all know that trying to attract visitors to Dubai during the hottest months is a mission in itself, so in an attempt to bring plane loads of tourists in, Emirates is offering free air tickets to children aged 16 and under who travel to Dubai with two adults during DSF.   From May 15th – 20th September, children can fly to Dubai, eat and play for free when their parents / guardian book a package holiday. In addition, the children will get free entry into nine of Dubai’s most exciting children’s attractions.

Success Rate: It could work, after all, how often is it that a child can fly for free? Normally deals for kids include free food but that’s where it stops. As for the heat factor well that may deter some people from taking up the offer of a free flight for their teenager but then again there is quite  a lot to see and do indoors. Last but not least the recession which is still affecting millions of people may just mean that even free air fares for kids is not enough to part with precious cash this summer. At the end of the day most people are now pretty clued up with the fact that even the cost of a free ticket ends up costing you elsewhere on the holiday, e.g. the expensive meals out or the cost of the hotel. Overall, this DSF Summer Surprise will most probably be a hit with rich families who don’t mind the heat and are quite happy to spend most of their holiday indoors, trying to cool off.

FACEBOOK FANS TO WIN PRIZES:  DSF are now on Facebook so to get in with a chance to win more prizes this summer, join their Facebook site this summer. Follow the weekly quizzes and alerts posted and if you are the first one to answer correctly you get can win a prize. Become a DSF Facebook friend this summer and see how many prizes you can win.

Success Rate: It all sounds good, be my facebook friend and you could win prizes but it doesn’t exactly get kids out of the house and entertained – if anything it just encourages them to spend more time glued in front of their computer or blackberry / i-phone. With the need for kids to be more active in the UAE, perhaps Dubai Summer Surprises could have introduced a more active way for kids to win prizes.