Latest global data reveals that Global Village, the leading multi-cultural festival park and the region’s first family destination for culture, shopping and entertainment, measures up to the world’s top entertainment destinations for average daily visitation. According to figures released in the Global Attractions Attendance Report – 2018 by Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM, average daily footfall rates for the top four attractions in the world are 57,000 for Disney’s Magic Kingdom Orlando, 51,000 for Disneyland Anaheim, 49,000 for Tokyo Disneyland and 40,000 for Tokyo DisneySea.   With an average footfall of over 42,000 guests per day, Global Village has joined the ranks of the top players in the world.

The significant accomplishment reflects Global Village’s constant efforts to offer best-in-class family entertainment and guest experience in alignment with the strategic directives of the UAE’s leadership and the Dubai Tourism Strategy. This also highlights Global Village’s appeal as a world-class attraction that is putting the country on the map as a leading tourism destination, both regionally and globally.

Bader Anwahi, Chief Executive Officer, Global Village, said: “Dubai’s prestige and proud legacy as a go-to destination for extraordinary experiences is ever-expanding, which is why Global Village is proud to be a major component of the emirate’s transformation into a globally renowned tourism icon. Our contribution and commitment to the Dubai Tourism Strategy and the economic vision is evident in the sheer volume of guests that have experienced the unforgettable world we present at Global Village. As we celebrate welcoming over 90 million guests since the inception of Global Village in 1997, this motivates us to continually enhance and transform our facilities, operations, and activities to attract millions more.

“We are able to offer a rich festival park atmosphere that delivers a truly unique experience to our guests from around the globe. In addition, every element of the Global Village we see today is driven towards maximising guest happiness. The dedication to delivering quality experiences and WOW factor led to 3.5 million happy guests recording a 9.1/10 score on our Guests Happiness Index so far in Season 24. This illustrates the wealth of enthusiasm for the memorable experience we provide, and this tells us that the current season has all the hallmarks of becoming another record-breaking year in continuation of the proud heritage that Global Village has shaped since first opening its doors to the world over two decades ago.”

Celebrating numerous benchmarks

In addition to raising the bar for footfall and guest experiences with new activities and features, Global Village has crossed the milestone of 90 million guests since first opening its doors in 1997.

Surging in leaps and bounds since Season 1 began on the shores of Dubai Creek in 1997, Global Village continues to surpass seasonal attendance records and create immense breakthroughs that are redefining and enriching guest experiences. In just the first two months of Season 24, Global Village rolled out the welcome mat, and a world of magical and memorable experiences, for over 3.5 million guests. Furthermore, on the 48^th UAE National Day, Global Village attracted a record-breaking 140,000 guests in one day.

Additionally, Global Village drew nearly one quarter (24%) of all tourists who visited Dubai in H1 2019 —according to the latest data from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). This reiterates the position of Global Village as the UAE’s most preferred entertainment destination for a memorable and fun-filled family day out.

An ever-evolving legacy of success

Season 1 of Global Village, which ran from 27 March to 26 April 1997 planted the seeds for future success, operating for 31 days on a 50,000 square-metre site at Dubai Creek side. Fast forward 24 years of growth to the current 1.6 million square-metre operation which has evolved to be able to accommodate the needs of millions of guests. The extensive year on year development of the Global Village infrastructure includes the creation of 23,000+ parking spaces, state of the art crowd management technology, data-driven operations systems, enhanced ticketing platforms, world-class facilities and countless other guest-centric improvements, fuelled by learnings of best practices over 24 years.

Thanks to the efforts of 10,000+ partners and vendors, who represent over 100 nationalities, Global Village has evolved into a hotbed for exceptional cultural and entertainment experiences that are raising the bar for regional and global guest experiences.

“As we look back through the years that have led up to our biggest milestones to date, each enhancement from planning to implementation is testament to the skill and passion of every individual that has contributed to the festival park experience at Global Village. In this time, an entire generation has grown up enjoying Global Village, and today visit us with their own children. Authenticity and guest happiness is at the centre of everything we do, and we are committed to strengthening the Global Village legacy in the decades ahead for future generations to be proud of,” Anwahi added.

As the nation enters a new decade and embraces the theme for 2020: towards the next 50, Global Village is also looking forward to new beginnings.

“We are proud of our achievements, but if you think we will stop there, I can tell you, we haven’t even started yet. Season 25, our silver jubilee, is the perfect time for a fresh start and we will once again be raising the bar to ensure that we continue to deserve our place amongst the world’s leading entertainment destinations.  We look forward to welcoming millions more residents and tourists, families and friends to experience this home-grown phenomenon that has captivated the hearts of over 90 million guests to date across more than two inspirational decades of operation. In the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai: We are united by team, united by spirit, united towards a promising future,” Anwahi further said.