Bahrain Tourism
Maryam Toorani Director of Marketing and Promotion, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA)
The year 2022: In 2022, the tourism industry in Bahrain started to recover, with almost 82 per cent footfalls compared to the previous year’s numbers. Travellers today seek holidays filled with authentic local experiences while still being environmentally mindful. Considering this factor, Bahrain has been aggressively implementing eco-tourism and sustainable tourist projects throughout the nation. As a travel destination, Bahrain has also used this time to develop new infrastructure projects to increase tourism.
Bahrain is investing in and generating more tourism-related content, whether in the form of infrastructure or events, to draw in the MICE, leisure, and wedding segments from India to visit Bahrain. Keeping this in mind, in 2022 we have conducted a variety of B2B and B2C activities in the market, such as joint promotion campaigns with trade agents across India, Bahrain destination training, familiarisation trips for both travel agents and our media partner, Influencer campaigns, multi-city roadshow, etc. MICE is one of the very important segments we have been concentrating on, which is reflected in the recent opening of the new Exhibition World Bahrain, the largest in the Middle East.
New Developments: Many new architectural and infrastructural projects have opened or are opening in Bahrain. The newest attraction in the region is Exhibition World Bahrain, which offers exceptional versatility in design with a variety of space configurations that are perfect for special events, gala events, banquets, corporate launches, concerts, and exhibitions. This center is one of a kind and is the largest, with 95,000 sq. ft in the Middle East. Bahrain’s hospitality sector continues to see development growth with numerous new hotels like Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort and Spa, The Address Hotel-Marassi Al Bahrain, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Raffles Al Areen Palace and Spa. Qalali waterfront, Al Ghous waterfront, and Mantis Hotel are some of the upcoming beachfront projects in Bahrain.
Preparedness and expectations from India market in 2023: One of the most significant and spectacular events is Formula 1. The opening race of the 2023 season has officially been announced, and it will be held from March 3-5, 2023, at the Bahrain International Circuit. This circuit has had the honour of being the opening race of the season five times before 2023. There are many international artists like Imagine Dragons that will be hosting concerts and performing next year in Bahrain. Apart from these, the destination is preparing many more interesting festivals and events in 2023, like the annual jewellery and perfume expo called Jewellery Arabia. We also have an extravagant food festival with over 100 local and international cuisines to taste, the biggest shopping festival- the Autumn Fair, and many more such events.