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www.bahraintribune.com A dearth of quality tourism products is present in Bahrain, according to an official. “It is important to develop a quality-control mechanism for the development of the tourism sector in the Kingdom,” said Hussain Ramadhan Awadh, a Bahraini who has written a paper titled “Strategic Management of the Tourist Industry in Bahrain.” He added: “Right now, unfortunately, there is no such system in place here.”
The researcher works for a government department and believes only by improving quality can the Kingdom attract more tourists. “Look at other places in the region. You can associate certain quality activities with most places in the area.
“Apart from Bahrain International Circuit, nothing else stands out in Bahrain,” Awadh said. Tourist arrivals in the country have also increased over the last four years, from 4.3 million five years ago to 5.6 million in 2004, according to a recent report published by Kuwait-based Global Investment House. The numbers, said the institution, are bound to increase in coming years.
“Major events, such as Formula One Grand Prix, are expected to generate tourist interest in Bahrain, and with a causeway linking Bahrain to Qatar on the horizon, Bahrain’s tourism sector will be strengthened even further, the GIH study said.
The Economic Development Board said recently it already has a roadmap for the future of Bahrain’s tourism industry. A new tourism development board is due to be launched later this year.
Crown Prince and EDB Chairman Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was quoted as saying recently: “The development of tourism in Bahrain can never be a one-man show. Parliament, the Shura Council, all wings of government and the administration, and, most of all, the collective efforts of the people will see this all important issue take concrete shape.”
Bahrain, according to Awadh, should be “designed as an ideal spot for special-interest tourists and a very superior niche of tourists in search of exclusive and extraordinary haunts.” He believes the Kingdom needs to do more to increase the inflow of tourists. “The country needs more three- to four-star destination resorts on waterfront property family-oriented resorts and amusement parks,” he said, adding, “There is a certain need for more internationally branded four-star city-centre hotels.”
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