Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB), in an effort to boost tourism, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, running through Thursday at the Madinat Jumeirah hotel in Dubai.
The session, titled "Uncovering Bahrain," focused on tourism-oriented business potential in Bahrain, with investors and developers from the hotel sector offering insight into the kingdom’s hospitality business. Over the past two years, hotels and restaurants represented the greatest growth. In 2015, 11.6 million tourists visited Bahrain, 11 percent more than in 2014.
"There is strong investment currently underway in Bahrain's tourism sector … including accommodation, technology, ground transportation, airport infrastructure and retail,” EDB Executive Director of Tourism and Leisure Jerad Bachar said.
Bachar said the kingdom’s new campaign, with its motto of "Ours. Yours. Bahrain," is designed to raise Bahrain’s profile as a tourism destination and “through collaboration with the greater tourism community, we aim to increase the country's competitiveness and increase the economic contribution from tourism to the GDP."
Bahrain’s tourism industry currently accounts for 6 percent of its GDP and is anticipated to reach $1 billion by 2020. With its eminent hotels such as the Four Seasons, the Ritz Carlton, Sofitel, ART Rotana, Marriott, Le Meridien and the Westin, the kingdom is currently developing additional upscale facilities in anticipation of continued industry growth, including infrastructure improvements for its airport, mall and resort facilities.
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