The Entertainment City at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre has attracted more than 40,000 visitors over the first six days of the Qatar Summer Festival (QSF), according to Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
Offering an array of entertainment activities, rides, and games over a 29,000sq m area, the city had drawn a large number of visitors since day one of the month-long festival.
A QSF staff member noted that reduced prices of tickets, interactive games, new attractions, and rides enticed many residents and visitors from neighbouring GCC countries to spend their afternoon and weekend at the City this summer.
“This is the first time I am seeing such a huge crowd in this annual celebration, which is being held at the DECC for the first time,” said the staff member, who also worked in previous festivals.
She added that a lot of families have availed of the QR120 VIP Entry ticket, which entitles a person full access to rides and games at the entertainment facility.
This was also echoed by employees of food stalls at the Food Court zone saying that they were surprised to see thousands of visitors during the weekend particularly last Saturday.
QSF staff said visitors had to bear with long queues starting at the entrance, rides, and at food counters due to the continuous influx of people from 1pm to 11pm.
“All the zones are full, you will see a lot of people taking the thrill rides while both children and adults were all too eager to try the Go Karts,” she added.
QTA has reduced the prices of tickets to give visitors an opportunity to explore all the entertainment offerings at the City.
Some 26 food stalls also sell a wide range of cuisine, sweets, drinks, and international dishes at affordable and reasonable prices.
A cashier said they benefited a lot from the surge in the number of visitors last weekend, hoping that sales will further increase in the coming days.  
“We were actually caught ‘flat-footed’ last Saturday so we had to work faster to serve all those in the long queues,” a supervisor added. “We might be adding more staff this coming weekend.”
QTA expects an increase in the number of visitors this year from the previous festival, which attracted around 200,000, including people from Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries.