DOHA: Ten days after it opened, the Doha Summer Fun Park is proving to be the leisure destination for families in Qatar, recording 40,000 visitors on the first seven days, according to the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).

The visitors are not just from Qatar but also from neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, said QTA Chairman Ahmed Al Nuaimi.

The big number of visitors, though, doesn’t translate into profits for businesses occupying the 70 stalls in the sprawling Qatar Exhibition Centre.

“Business is not that good most of the time, except on Thursdays and Fridays,” said Jeck, a shopkeeper from Dubai-based Qingfeng Trading, which sells bags, footwear and toys.

“Many people come to window shop and only a few buy our products,” she said, adding they sold around 10 bags a day. In demand are their trendy bags which are sourced from Taiwan and other countries, costing about QR150. The different toys they offer are tagged at QR40 to QR60.

There are shops selling cosmetics like perfumes, sold in Damascus Gate, which has a presence in most Gulf countries including Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar. The Syria-based shop has a wide selection of perfumes, almost hundred varieties, most of which are cheap imitation perfumes, the most expensive of which are priced at QR50.

It is hard to tell the difference between the original designer perfumes Calvin Klein, Chanel, Dunhill and Gucci and the 70ml imitation bottles sold in the shop.[Read More]