Manama Souq crying for tourist guides

Manama : Tourists visiting Manama souq are left high and dry as there are no guides to navigate them through the maze and improve their experience in one of the oldest tourism venues in the Kingdom.

At least six tour guides must be recruited to be assigned at the Manama Souq to increase the attractiveness of the traditional market to tourists. 

The Manama souq currently does not have tour guides and so the tourists are not always able to navigate easily, a Souq official, who asked not to be named, told DT News. 

The Souq being one of the prime tourist attractions of Bahrain, needs more attention from the authorities, he said.

“Tour guides are necessary because of the size and complexity of the Souq. Some of the tourists are totally lost after coming to the Souq. They do not know what to expect or where to go. Often they miss some of the attractions at the Souq. They are our guests and we should be giving them better guidance,” he said, “Tourists bring a lot of revenue to the Souq and we should be more efficient and do our best to encourage them to come here,” he said.

“There are development taking place. Old Markets Committee of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Tamkeen and other relevant Ministries and authorities are working hard on the revamp of the Souq. However, there are some areas that need immediate attention such as the need for tour guides. I hope it will be addressed as soon as possible,” he said.

Meeting held

The Old Markets Committee of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry headed by first vice-chairman Khalid Al Zayani recently convened a meeting with top officials from Tamkeen to discuss plans to revamp Manama and Muharraq souqs.  The committee proposed including it in the old markets in Shop Bahrain Festival and making Manama market a center for traditional crafts.  The meeting also stressed on the importance of providing fire extinguishers in the old markets.