Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has signed a strategic partnership with C-Trip to promote itself to C-Trip customers travelling from China to Dubai.

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, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Duty Free and Christine Zhang, Senior Vice President of C-Trip.com and CEO of C-Trip Global Shopping.

The agreement reflects the importance of Chinese travellers to Dubai Duty Free, which account for nearly 15% of DDF sales and 4% of total passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport.

C-Trip customers will enjoy a 5% discount on a range of items (terms and conditions apply) when shopping at Dubai Duty Free. 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.

TRAVELLER INTERACTION

Commenting on the partnership, Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin said: “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. “

Cidambi said at the signing ceremony: “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”.

Zhang added: “We are pleased with our partnership with Dubai Duty Free who have provided C-Trip members with an excellent shopping experience in the past. We are glad that our members will continue to enjoy these exciting facilities and offers brought upon by this partnership.”

Also present at the signing ceremony in Shanghai, was Dubai Duty Free Vice President, HR Service Delivery, Mona Al Ali and Assistant Manager, Resourcing and Manpower Planning, Sunshine Bian. They were joined by C-Trip’s Michael Liu, Executive Vice President /Global Shopping CEO, Scarlett Xing, Regional Business Director, Shuo Zhang, PR in Charge of C-Trip and Ruby Lan, Account Manager of DDF in C-Trip.

DUBAI DUTY IRISH OPEN

Meanwhile, Scotsman Russell Knox sealed his place in the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship after holing two putts on the 18^th as he beat Ryan Fox in a play-off to lift the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation title.

McLoughlin said: “We are delighted once again to be the title sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. This is our fourth year supporting this tournament and it is fantastic to see how much this event has grown in stature.”