QATAR Tourism Authority (QTA) has announced the lineup of activities for the Eid Al-Fitr 2015 Festival, which takes place over five days, beginning on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. The annual Eid Festival, which aims to increase the number of inbound tourists in the long-term by building sustainable events into Qatar's calendar, is building on the success of past years through events organized in collaboration with public and private sector partners to reinforce Qatar's position as a preferred family tourist destination within the GCC. The Festival this year will offer daily family entertainment shows including mime shows, The Rene Magritte Show, The Bubble Jo Show, and the Magic Paper Artist, as well as traditional Qatari Ardah performances throughout the country at malls starting at 4 p.m. and continuing until 10 p.m. The shows will rotate between Hyatt Plaza, City Centre Doha, Ezdan Mall, Lagoona Mall, Al Khor Mall, and Dar Al Salam Mall. QTA is also organizing exclusive shows at each of the malls, including Peter Pan (City Centre Doha), Circus Canada (Al Khor Mall), Jungle Book (Lagoona Mall), Pinocchio (Hyatt Plaza), The Little Prince (Dar Al Salam Mall) and Meet the Nicktoons (Ezdan Mall). Festival highlights include family-friendly musical “Elmo Makes Music” produced by the makers of the popular Sesame Street program. The show will be held on July 18-22 at Qatar National Convention Centre, with tickets selling at Virgin Megastores' website and Q-tickets.com. Meanwhile older audiences will be able to enjoy the stage production “Bishowish” [Take it Easy], a touring play that will show at Katara Theatre on July 18-27, before moving to other Arab countries. The play was written by Teyseer Abdullah and is directed by Saad Burshed, and stars a mix of 16 Qatari and Arab actors including Khaled Al Egeireb, Ali Ghreer, Khalil Al-Ramees, Muneera Mohammed, and Mohammed Al Sonni. Eid Al-Fitr celebrations will extend to all parts of the country as tourism hotspots present a number of exciting shows, performances and activities throughout the Festival to visitors and residents alike. Daily fireworks will light up the sky at Katara Cultural Village, while Souq Waqif will host daily music concerts in collaboration with Sout Al Rayyan Radio Station. Celebrations will be taking place throughout The Pearl-Qatar, Al Dosari Zoo, Aqua Park, Sheikh Faisal Al Thani Museum, Al Samrya Horse Riding, and Air Sport Committee. To enhance tourists' experiences throughout the Festival and share the Eid Al-Fitr spirit, QTA will work with its partners to welcome visitors at Hamad International Airport and Abu Samra Crossing with information pamphlets and “Eidiya” - gifts traditionally given at Eid. Information desks will also be set up at the airport and in malls to answer any questions about the Festival or Qatar's offerings during this time. The Authority is also launching a large-scale regional campaign to promote the Festival throughout Qatar and the GCC. “QTA organizes a number of festivals in collaboration with its partners in an effort to expand Qatar's offerings and reinforce the country's position as a preferred family-holiday destination, particularly within the GCC,” commented Rashed Al-Qurese, Chief Marketing and Promotions Officer at QTA. “The Eid Al-Fitr Festival is one of the highlights of Qatar's events calendar as it attracts visitors from around the region looking for a get-away in a destination with shared culture and heritage, full of family entertainment options.” Al Qurese added that Qatar has seen a surge in the number of visitors from the neighboring GCC markets, most notably a 31% increase from Saudi Arabia during the first five months of the year. — SG
