Arvind Kejriwal fancies replicating Dubai shopping festival in Delhi
Photo Credit Delhi government
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, June 24: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday passed instructions to the tourism department to make the shopping festival a world class experience. Driven by discounts and modelled on Dubai shopping festivals, Kejriwal hopes that the initiative will create jobs in the national capital.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) long back assessed that the oil business is a legacy that may not last too long in future.
The UAE has been working to broaden the economic basket of the country, with thrust to make Dubai the trading hub of the world. The duty free shopping festival is now an identity of Dubai.
Besides shopping, the UAE also went aggressive in hosting the big sporting events to further spread the net big to tap into the tourism potential of the country. Now, the UAE hosts major sports event at the cost of splurging as is the case in attracting the top sporting icons of Golf.
The UAE could turn around its economy on the basis of deep oil-pocket.
Kejriwal may not have that deep pocket to realistically replicate the Dubai shopping model, but still the thought to do so shouldn’t be a bad idea.
On Friday, Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to review the highly ambitious project. The tourism department presented a detailed blueprint of the Delhi Shopping Festival.
Kejriwal issued directions to the officers, saying that they should leave no stone unturned in making Delhi Shopping Festival a world-class experience.
“Along with shopping, the Kejriwal government will also promote discounting to benefit consumers. Lakhs of people are expected to participate in the festival. Delhi’s traders will gain huge profits and thousands will get employment,” said the Delhi government in an official statement.
The shopping festival is an initiative of the ‘Rozgaar Budget’ of the city government.
The festival would keep in mind four major areas, said the city government, adding that it will promote arts and culture, food and cuisines and entertainment, as well as shopping discounts and prizes.
“The Kejriwal government will ramp up transportation, and connect hotel and restaurants with the shopping festival. The plan is to bring the entire hospitality and travel industry together,” added the city government.
It also stated that Delhi’s cuisine along with the participation of musicians, film personalities, comedians, dance groups will be the key features of the festival.
Delhi, indeed, has the infrastructure to think of hosting such a grand festival.
The Aerocity near airport is already a buzzing landscape for the business community, flying to host and take part in conference in the numerous luxury hotels there.
The Connaught Place alone has the largest concentration of the restaurants cum bars in the country.
Delhi’s cultural connect is acclaimed worldwide while the city space is dotted with heritage sites.
But the vision to do something on the lines of Dubai is indeed grand, and may require close partnership with the Central government.
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