Rent-a-car companies enjoy better business during DSF 2004

These companies, whose contributions go a long way in enhancing Dubai's reputation as an amazing tourism destination, find that their business improves as a result of the large numbers of tourists here for the festival.

Rent-a-car companies have a large presence here, a sure sign of the progressive and modern business climate and the class of tourists that Dubai attracts. Car rentals are traditionally frequented by the affluent, but in Dubai it is common to find that cars can be rented by many at very economical rates. This again goes a long way to show that Dubai is a holiday destination that can be enjoyed by everyone, on all budgets.

Mr. Nitin Sapre, Sales and Marketing Manager, Hertz UAE, said, 'We are a part of the Al Futtaim Group and are, as such, very deeply involved with DSF 2004. We have been in Dubai for ten years and have been actively involved with all local tourism initiatives. We are running a special promotion for DSF 2004, where customers can avail of a special rate for DSF 2004. This discount, of 40%, will also apply to the next rental made by the customer. In addition, they will get two gift vouchers, one of which entitles them to superb offers at Al Futtaim Watches and Plug-Ins for Electronics and accessories.'

'We have many customers who come in from all around the world, and the average rental period is a week. For families coming in from the region, the most popular rentals are mini-vans and fun-lovers prefer the adventurous four-wheel drives. There is a large amount of local renting also, from customers in other Emirates within the country', he added.

Sunita Venkat, Reservation Executive at Thrifty Car Rentals, said, 'We have many special rates on offer now, divided into daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly rates. People coming in from all over the world make bookings from us, and volumes of bookings definitely go up during Dubai Shopping Festival. Thrifty is deeply involved with DSF not only by just renting cars, but also by presenting activities, sponsoring concerts and the like. We note an average rental period of seven days, with the size of the car depending on the size of the family. Groups of tourists, who may be friends, go for the four-wheel drives for the sporting options it presents.'

Ahmed Al Hamli, District Manager- Dubai and Northern Emirates, Fast Rent-a-Car, said, 'We have a vast network of travel agents and tour operators in the GCC, and we get a large number of bookings through them. Needless to say, this goes up during DSF each year, to the tune of 35% on average. We find a large number of family cars like bigger sedans and mini-vans. The average periods are 3-5 days. Our general level of cars in circulation during peak periods such as DSF and other major attractions stands at around 90%, an extremely positive sign of the progressive business climate here.'

On behalf of Arab Link Tourism, Cargo and Rent-a-Car, Frase Abdul Qadir Al Haj Ali, Manager- Rent-a-Car Division, said, 'We have been actively wooing the many tourists in the city through advertisements in newspapers and in-flight magazines. We have been active in this market for the past 10 years and we have seen the many improvements that keep happening every year since DSF began. We have many GCC residents and citizens families renting from us, and during DSF, our stock is completely depleted. We specialize in budget cars, and our affordable and attractive rates allow us to have many repeat customers from people who come to Dubai each year for DSF. We are sure that DSF 2004 is going to be bigger and better than ever, and we are ready for the challenges that will be thrown our way.'