Family tourists help ‘Seef beat Juffair’

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom’s hospitality sector is witnessing a sharp contrast in occupancy rates between hotels in Seef and Juffair.

While the hotels in Seef recorded higher occupancy rates, their counterparts in Juffair are struggling to attract guests.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune on a condition of anonymity, a senior executive, who heads a prominent hotel in Juffair, said: “Overall, the hospitality sector in the Kingdom is doing great with the National Day season picking pace.

But, unfortunately, the hotels in Juffair are not doing well concerning occupancy rates.

We are simply struggling to fill rooms.”

He said: “This could be because family tourists are being lured away into Seef, which hosts the City Centre, Seef Mall and many cinemas”.

The executive added that nightclubs and bars in Juffair would serve as a detrimental factor in attracting family tourists to the area.

Despite this sharp contrast, the overall occupancy rate in the hotel industry has been promising.

It is learnt that all five-star hotels in the Kingdom are almost fully booked, as the Kingdom celebrates its National Day today.

The National Day celebrations in the Kingdom act as a major tourist attraction, especially for tourists from GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Higher occupancy rates are a great encouragement to the hospitality industry, which is gradually recovering from the slump caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shyamily James, Marketing Executive with The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention and Spa, said that the National Day season is boosting the hospitality sector in a big way.

“We have received a lot of bookings, and our occupancy rates are quite high as the Kingdom is celebrating its National Days.

To make the occasion special, we have come up with a National Day package, which offers special discounts for the tourists.”

James also said that a special menu, emphasizing authentic Bahraini cuisine, will be served to all tourists as the occasion is an opportunity to celebrate “everything Bahraini”.