Update Bahrain

 

With a new year comes new hope and new determination. And nowhere is this more apparent than across Bahrain’s tourism industry, which is steadfast in its drive help the Kingdom return to its touristic glory.

 

The severity of the blow that struck the Kingdoms’ tourism sector from February 2011 onwards is not something that can be denied – in the first quarter of 2011 alone, hotel bookings were down 29.3 per cent compared to the previous year, and by the second quarter had dropped by 30.3 per cent. Such a decline, attributable largely to the political unrest, was further fuelled by the cancellation of the 2011 Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix and other major events.

 

Indeed, the decline continued until the end of the year, with many hotels reporting annual drops in occupancy rates of more than 50 per cent – at times as low as five per cent – and an array of scheduled hotel openings postponed indefinitely.

 

However, with the start of a fresh new year has come not only a sense of hope, but also a sense of clarity that has re-invigorated the country’s tourism industry.

 

Director of sales and marketing, Kempinski Grand and Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre, Ibrahim Korkut can see clear signs of improvements as he told TTG: “I feel that Bahrain is recovering very well from the unrest earlier this year and we’re starting to look forward to a better future for the country, particularly with the developments being made for the benefit of the tourism industry. Bahrain’s tourism has been going forward for over a decade now and it can only get better.”

 

These improvements are being noted throughout the industry, as senior manager of corporate communications, Gulf Air, KatherineKaczynska, told TTG: “Like all other airlines in the region Gulf Air’s traffic and revenue was affected by the regional events of 2011 but we have recovered since then and our traffic and revenue has returned to previous figures.”

 

Faith has already been placed in Bahrain’s stability, with the rescheduling of its Formula One race for April this year. And moreover, in December 2011, cruise ships began to return to Bahrain and this, along with the hosting of the Bahrain International Air Show between January 19 and 21, has sent a clear message to the rest of the world that Bahrain is back in business.

 

 

Bahrain’s abilities within the MICE sector have traditionally placed it as a strong competitor in the region, and it is the exhibitions factor that is helping to drive the Kingdom forward once again. Group general manager, Ramee Hotels & Restaurants, Shantharam Shetty noted to TTG: “Bahrain’s leadership has been trying its best by taking various measures to attract business houses. MICE is one sector where Bahrain has been really good over the years and there are many important exhibitions planned for the current year as well.”

 

Among some of the key international exhibitions due to take place this year are the 10^th Middle East Geosciences Conference, the 15^th International Book Fair 2012, Gulf BID 2012, Gulf Interiors 2012, the 8^th Middle East Refining and Petrochemicals Conference & Exhibition, and 21^st Middle East International Jewelry & Watch Exhibition.

 

“These events are of great significance to Bahrain and all of us,” added Shetty.

 

Business tourism is definitely the sub-sector everyone expects to go from strength to strength.

 

Korkut commented: “Bahrain’s business sector continues to grow and, largely due to its location, is still one of the most important business locations in the Arabian Gulf.

 

“New luxury tourism properties and dynamic retail outlets are under construction here and this, together with the return of the Formula 1 Grand Prix on the calendar in April 2012, will ensure that Bahrain will attract local, national and international travellers.

 

Director of sales and marketing, InterContinental Regency Bahrain, Cyril Mouwad concurred, confirming to TTG: “I believe the outlook for Bahrain is very bright. The city is already one of the Gulf’s main commercial hubs and is still growing. There are many new commercial office buildings and hotels under construction and once these are open they will significantly contribute to the country’s growth.

 

“Bahrain’s locality for Eastern Saudi Arabia is a major advantage as, with the eastern province experiencing strong growth and investment, many companies, who are involved in this development, will headquarter in Bahrain.

 

Kaczynska added: “Business travel is integral due to Bahrain’s positioning as a business friendly destination – with long-standing efforts towards transparent business dealings and co-ordinated ease for international businesses to relocate here, we see many business travellers flying in and out on short, medium and long visits to the Kingdom.

 

“Bahrain also sees many leisure travellers, particularly from neighbouring GCC countries on weekends or public holidays and, of course, religious travellers en route to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia find Bahrain a convenient transit point along their journey.”

 

General manager, Elite Crystal Hotel, Lalima Mathur would particularly like to see more family-orientated facilities developed in the country to attract more leisure tourists. She explained to TTG: “More family-oriented facilities would be added attractions. Tourism will develop well; people, especially families will travel and that is enough to develop this sector.”

 

 

A further boost has been given to the nation’s tourism sector with Bahrain’s capital, Manama, being named as the Capital of Arab Tourism 2013, as well as Cultural Capital of the Arab World 2012 – a first for Manama since the initiative was launched by the Arab League in 1996, as part of UNESCO’s cultural capitals programme.

 

A raft of events and workshops have been planned for the whole of this year in order to promote all aspects of Bahrain’s culture, with subjects including art, architecture, design, heritage, museums, poetry, intellect, translation, music, environment, theatre and homeland – with a focus on a different topic each month.

 

Each month there will also be focus on a culture-related project, including the creation of a permanent exhibition at Riffa Fort and the opening of the new National Theatre. January saw the country focus on fine arts, with various art exhibitions and a sculpture symposium taking place, while February’s focus is on architecture, including a competition for proposals to redevelop Bahrain's most popular souk, Bab Al Bahrain.

 

Other notable highlights of the year include the screening of Arabic movies in August, followed by a focus on music in September, with a special production on the masters of Arabic singing, coinciding with the 21^st Bahrain International Music Festival.

 

There will also be a play staged on Bahrain’s history in November when theatre is the month’s theme.

 

Aside from the cultural initiatives sweeping across the country this year, there are certainly plenty of other developments taking place that offer hope for the future of its tourism industry.

 

In July 2011, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) began the Bahrain International Airport (BIA) expansion project, aimed at boosting capacity by 50 per cent from the current nine million passengers to 13.5 million.

 

At a cost of $2.5 billion, the modern metropolis of Bahrain Bay is another landmark development which is expected to become the driving force for the redevelopment of the Manama city waterfront. It will see the creation of a waterfront district designed around mixed neighbourhoods of residential, commercial and retail spaces.

 

A Four Seasons-branded hotel within the development will occupy the central island providing guests with 360 degree views of the community and Manama skyline.

 

If the Kingdom’s industry is able to maintain its timeline for 2012, this year could see the opening of numerous hotels, some of which are already complete while others remain under construction.

 

Rotana, for one, has announced plans to open its first property in the country. Majestic Arjaan by Rotana – Bahrain, set to open in the fourth quarter of 2012, is expected to consist of five modern state-of-the art buildings and will comprise 128 apartments. The hotel aims to offer an impressive array of F&B venues, as well as four meeting rooms, a swimming pool, gym and health club.

 

With so much going on over the course of the year, there is a concerted effort being made by all those in Bahrain’s tourism sector to promote the destination both locally and internationally.

 

Director of sales and marketing, The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa, Michael Kuhn explained to TTG: “For sure, the government is pushing and developing more and more programmes to make Bahrain even more interesting.

 

“From our side, you can never have enough publicity and promotions running. But we all have to make sure that everybody knows about the great facilities you can find in Bahrain: very easy logistics; great support from the government for any events and business coming to Bahrain; the best location in the Gulf with easy access to all GCC markets; and being easy accessible from anywhere in the world.”