Airport retailer Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has signed a strategic partnership with Chinese online travel agency C-Trip to promote DDF to C-Trip’s customers travelling to Dubai from China.
The partnership agreement was signed at C-Trip’s offices in Shanghai and the ceremony was attended by senior officials from both companies including Ramesh Cidambi, DDF COO and Christine Zhang, senior vice president of C-Trip.com and CEO of C-Trip Global Shopping.
The agreement reflects the importance of the Chinese traveller to DDF as they account for nearly 15% of DDF sales while being around 4% of the passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport. Customers of C-Trip will enjoy a 5% discount (on a wide range of items and terms and conditions will apply) when shopping at DDF and this particular promotion will run until end of 2018.
DDF’s partnership with C-Trip started during a meeting at the ‘Dubai Week in China’ event in October 2016. This event aimed to increase the cooperation between companies in Dubai and China for their mutual benefit.
Commenting on the partnership, DDF executive vice chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin says, “Our team up with C-Trip has been very successful, and we strongly believe that through this initiative we are able to interact directly with travellers before they fly and help them make informed purchasing decisions at Dubai Duty Free. “
“I am very pleased to be here in Shanghai at the C-Trip offices and sign this agreement. We believe that our strong partnership with C-Trip will benefit thousands of C-Trip customers that will travel to Dubai each year and shop at Dubai Duty Free,” adds Cidambi.
“We are pleased with our partnership with Dubai Duty Free and who have provided C-Trip members with an excellent shopping experience in the past, and we are glad that our members will continue to enjoy these exciting facilities and offers brought upon by this partnership,” concludes Zhang.