By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Doha Exhibition Centre is setting up various sections of the Entertainment City as it prepares for the month-long Qatar Summer Festival 2015.
As the main venue for the festival this year, DEC will be using at least 15,000sqm to host several shows, rides, family and children’s activities, as well as a mini trade fair organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
Taking place from August 1 to 31, QSF 2015 is expected to attract thousands of Qatar residents and visitors from other GCC countries.
Region-wide tourism promotions were launched earlier to announce the festival, themed as "Colour your summer".
Besides the huge playground and the "Colour your summer" section, Entertainment City is putting up a stage for live shows for children.
QSF 2015 will also have shopping promotions at all major malls in Qatar. Prizes at weekly raffle draws include four BMWs and four Mini Coopers.
With the holding of the festival and its hotel promotion campaign, hotel occupancy in Qatar is also expected to increase next month.
In its tourism performance report for the first quarter of 2015, QTA had said that the number of tourists from GCC states, especially Saudi Arabia, had increased significantly.
It recorded an overall growth of 16% in the number of visitors from GCC countries. Visitor arrivals from Saudi Arabia grew by 28% compared to the first quarter of 2014.
“The majority of this growth took place in March when Saudi visitor arrivals grew by 82% compared to March 2014,” the report added.
In its 2014 annual report, QTA chairman Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi said the tourism industry in Qatar continued its strong performance as all key indicators demonstrated improvement and growth.
He said Qatar was rapidly becoming an important destination for international travellers with continued major investments in the tourism sector.
QTA has opened satellite offices in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Germany in addition to its two offices in the UK and France. It has said it expects to achieve 3mn tourist arrivals by the end of 2015.
Focusing on off-peak seasons such as summer to attract more tourists to the country, QTA also wants to surpass its 100,000 visitors recorded at last year’s QSF.
Work in progress at Doha Exhibition Centre for the upcoming Qatar. PICTURE: Najeer Feroke
