www.gulfnews.com A new study recommends that Bahrain should tailor its tourist industry to Arabs, who are described as the bread and butter of the country's tourism sector.
The Economic Development Board (EDB) field survey found that the majority of Bahrain's tourists come from the GCC and Arab countries, while very few are from the West, according to EDB chief executive Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa.
He said the survey stresses the importance of maintaining the ratio of GCC and Arab tourists as it is, with a view to turning Bahrain into a major tourism destination for Arabs in general.
"The EDB has developed a strategy aimed at developing the tourism sector in Bahrain," said Shaikh Khalifa, adding that it would be announced soon.
He said Bahrain should concentrate on family tourism, but added that exhibitions, events and conferences can also bring rewards, added value and high revenues to Bahrain's tourism sector.
The reason is that foreign participants in exhibitions and conferences fill hotel rooms and eat at restaurants, contributing significantly to the economy.
This latest survey was discussed during a meeting between the EDB and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), during which the two sides discussed problems facing the sector.
BCCI board member and tourism sector committee chairman Nabeel Khalid Kanoo said he would like to see the establishment of an independent tourism authority and better tourism laws in Bahrain. "Bahrain has the potential to become a fantastic tourism destination, but it needs to sort out a few things," he said.
"We need to have to have proper zoning of tourism sites and take better advantage of the historical sites which Bahrain is fortunate to have.
"A lot of birds migrate through Bahrain, which make it an ideal destination for nature tourism."
Mr Kanoo said he would like to see better financing of tourist activities by financial institutions and more feasibility studies carried out on tourism projects to offer opportunities to investors.
He added that more land should also be allocated for resorts and tourist projects, while shopping festivals and "tourism seasons" would go a long way towards improving tourism. "I think that Bahrain is hungry for culture and high quality concerts and events, like those which took place surrounding the Formula One race," he said. |