The Kingdom of Bahrain launched today its new tourism identity under the slogan of ‘Ours. Yours’ in a step to further develop the tourism sector as a main contributor to the national economy.
The new identity was unveiled by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority to the regional market at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in Dubai, United Arab of Emirates.
“The new brand embraces the country’s biggest asset, its people – their warmth and welcoming attitude. It’s the culmination of our efforts to develop an integrated strategic approach towards elevating the industry by attracting investors and providing a suitable environment to incubate tourism projects. Our strategy is based on four pillars ‘awareness, attraction, access and accommodation,” said Shaikh Khaled Bin Humood Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BETA).
The Kingdom plans to revamp its access points for foreign visitors including the modernization program for the Bahrain International Airport which result in increasing the capacity to 14 million visitors annually and port facilities for yachts that arrive in Bahrain from other countries.
“We will soon be launching representative offices in the Gulf region, UK, France, Russia, Germany and India. “The offices will be dedicated to promoting Bahrain as an ideal destination and increase the flow of tourists each year from these countries,” he added.
The tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain direct contribution to the GDP is around USD$700 Million – around 3.6% – according to the statistics published for the year 2015, an increase of up to 9% when compared to 2014. It is also expected that the tourism sector revenues will increase to One Billion Dollars by 2020. The industry currently provides more than 31.5 thousand jobs, accounting for 4% of the total workforce in Bahrain. The total investment in the travel and tourism sector in the Kingdom last year amounted to USD280 Million.
“By deploying a new identity, we will be able to consolidate and streamline all marketing campaign in order to convey the message internationally thus resulting in an increase in the number of passengers to Bahrain,” said Shaikh Khalid
“We are hoping to place Bahrain on the world map by not only showcasing its ‘authentic culture and heritage’ but also the harmonious blend of an old and modern, business-friendly world,” he added.
The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority will start promoting the new brand across a number of regional and international events in order to stimulate foreign investment and attract tourists.