The month-long Qatar Summer Festival (QSF) 2015 concluded yesterday on a high note and attracted more visitors compared with the celebration in the past year.
Organised by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), the festival dubbed as ‘Colour Your Summer’ has recorded 250,000 visits at the Entertainment City which hosted numerous rides, fun-filled games and live shows on stage for the whole family.
The figure has surpassed last year’s record of 130,000 visits during the six-week festival, also held at the Doha Exhibition Centre.
“Now in its second edition, QSF is considered a pillar of QTA’s events and festivals strategy, which works to establish a sustainable and diverse calendar of events and attractions to establish Qatar as a prime family destination within the region,” QTA chief marketing and promotions officer Rashed al-Qurese said.
He added that this year’s QSF, which was held between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha festivals, contributed to transforming “what is usually an off-peak season into a period of significant activity in the hotel and retail sectors.”
Some 125 stalls participating in the mini trade fair at the Entertainment City had the opportunity to showcase their unique products to visitors.
The festival’s shopping promotions and weekly raffle draw in malls across the country entered a total of more than 160,000 coupons. QTA has given away four BMW 7 Series, four Mini Cooper cars and a total of QR700,000 in cash prizes to winners.
The last draw took place in Villaggio, where winners’ names were picked out of 54,750 coupons.
QTA also engaged audiences inside and outside Qatar with the festival through the social media competition “Sabah Rabah” which was held in collaboration with Al Rayyan TV, the official QSF media partner.
The competition, which tested participants’ knowledge of Qatar’s culture and touristic landmarks, received responses from nearly 4,000 participants and announced 20 winners throughout the month. Winners received free hotel stays, spa packages and other prizes.
Some 26 members of the hospitality industry in Qatar also offered special packages to visitors.
QTA events and festivals manager Mashal Shahbik said plans for the 2016 edition are underway and will seek to build on the success of 2015 as well as factor in feedback from audiences in 2015.
“We worked this year to ensure a variety of offerings that could cater to the different tastes and ages among visitors and residents,” she noted. “The numbers this year show that the various events and offers were a huge draw, and we will continue to build on this strategy in years to come.”
QSF 2015 concluded with a series of live shows, including two Arabic music concerts and Doha Comedy Day, an event featuring six stand-up comedians from around the Gulf which drew over 1,000 spectators.
The u201cColour Your Summeru201d section has engaged many children into various games, art activities and games.
