Tourism is booming in the small gulf kingdom of Bahrain, with officials projecting that tourism in the country could be worth $1 billion
by 2020.
Leaders are citing an eight percent increase in visits to the
kingdom last fall, with peak tourism of 1.4 million people in August.
Bahrain is also funding tourism infrastructure to the tune
of over $1 million a year, including a modernization project that should enable Bahrain
International Airport can handle more arrivals. Analysts are now looking at hospitalities businesses to see how the country can handle a bigger
influx.
At the same time, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) is creating a vibrant marketing campaign as a country gears up for
Arabian Travel Market 2017 (ATM), an annual event held in April at the
Dubai World Trade Center.
“The BTEA now operates seven official representation offices
worldwide, with a focus on source markets in Europe and Asia and will continue
to work hand-in-hand with hotels, tour operators and cruise lines to achieve
its objectives,” Simon Press, senior exhibition director of ATM, said.
Although much of the country’s efforts to develop tourism
revolve around modern amenities, Bahrain experiences a significant amount of tourism based on traditional culture, including an influx of travelers during Islamic
holidays like Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and the Islamic New Year.
These holy days along with Ashura are among many cultural and religious tourist attractions, including museums and mosques, according to travel web site Mahmood’s Den.
“There is a significant scope for Bahrain to expand its
tourism sector,” Vishal Kumar Manoria, assistant manager of investment research and analytics at Aranca, told the Gulf News Journal. “Visitor numbers are growing and the government
seeks to boost Bahrain’s image as a tourist-friendly country.”
Manoria has researched various sectors and markets in the Middle East and Europe for leading asset management and private equity firms.
Manoria cited the airport expansion as well as other projects such as the Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge and several projects involving Formula One
racing as new attractions for the kingdom. Projects like these, he said, can
drive higher visitor numbers and increase the average stay per tourist,
bringing more travel dollars into the kingdom.
“Given Bahrain’s close proximity to Saudi Arabia, its
abundant tourist attractions, as well as open culture and liberal regulations,
we think Bahrain should most likely achieve its target of 15.8 million annual
visitors by 2018,” Manoria said. “Growing investment in the tourism sector is
also likely to stimulate economic growth by benefitting hospitality, retail and
other related sectors.”
If Bahrain can boost tourism, it can follow in the footsteps of
other gulf coast countries that have been diversifying their economies in order to reduce dependence oil and gas revenues in a world where fossil fuels no longer hold the sway the
way they used to.
