A month-long shopping festival that includes various discounts, live concerts, stand-up comedy shows and even a Broadway musical will open in Qatar early next month.
Under the slogan “A brand new tradition,” Shop Qatar will run from Jan. 7 to Feb. 7, 2017, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has announced.
It will feature cash prizes of up to QR4 million, special offers on flights and hotel bookings and entertainment that includes the Broadway musical Cats.
According to the QTA, discounts of up to 50 percent will be offered by retailers in various venues, including the new Mall of Qatar, Hyatt Plaza, Al Khor Mall, Lagoona Mall, Gulf Mall, Landmark, Dar Al Salam Mall, The Gate and The Pearl-Qatar.
Wooing visitors
Qatar’s tourism numbers dipped this year, despite efforts to woo visitors.
Officials are hoping to turn this around by starting 2017 off strong, focusing on shopping because visitors who come to Qatar spend more on this than on hotel stays or eating out, QTA previously said.
In a statement this week, Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Marketing and Promotion Officer at QTA, said:
“We anticipate that a festival during the winter months has an even bigger chance of attracting visitors, due to the offering combined with Qatar’s great winter weather.
Shop Qatar is also timed to fall within mid-year holidays for potential visitors in neighboring countries, which are our largest source markets.”
The event may take inspiration from Dubai, which has held a successful month-long shopping festival from the end of December until late January for years.
Schedule
In terms of entertainment, Cats will be shown from Feb. 1 to 4 at the Qatar National Convention Center. Tickets will start at QR150/person.
There will also be two concerts featuring Arab singers on Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. Tickets for this will cost from QR120 to QR1,250.
Meanwhile, the Doha Comedy Festival will run from Feb. 2 to Feb. 4 at the QNCC, featuring Arab and international comedians. Tickets will sell for QR120 to QR1,000.
All will be sold by Virgin Megastores soon.
More details about the festival can be found on its official website.
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