Bahrain’s tourists arrival has grown by 984% in first quarter

Agencies | Manama                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The number of tourists arriving in Bahrain has grown by 984% in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.

According to statistics published by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), the Kingdom received approximately 1.7 million visitors in the first three months of the year, compared to 152,000 in 2021.

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) affirmed that tourism revenues also rose to BD 292 million ($774 million) during the first quarter of this year compared to BD 30 million Bahrain Dinars ($80 million) during the same period last year, an increase of 875%.

According to the published statistics, there has been a significant increase in the flow of tourists, with more than 1.483 million tourists entering Bahrain through the King Fahd Causeway in the first quarter of this year, compared to about 84,000 in the same period last year 2021, a 1666% increase. The number of tourists arriving through the Bahrain International Airport also rose by 147%, with 166,000 tourists arriving in 2022, compared to 67,000 in the same period last year.

During the same period, the number of licensed tourist facilities, such as hotels, apartments, restaurants, and tour companies, climbed from 721 to 922, and the number of tourist nights increased from 341,000 to over 2.9 million.

BTEA’s CEO Dr. Nasser Qaedi, explained that the positive indicators reflect the success of the Kingdom's tourism sector in the Kingdom by in implementing the initiatives of the priorities within the Economic Recovery Plan, and the effectiveness of initiatives and programs carried out by the BTEA.

Qaedi added that the surge in tourists confirm the high success of major tourism and entertainment events held in the Kingdom, including the Formula 1 race, the Bahrain Food Festival, which attracted about 175,000 visitors over two weeks, the Manama Gold Festival, which included about 180 stores with sales of BD 1.1 million ($2.9 million), and others, as well as unprecedented promotional campaigns for Bahrain's tourism sector in many countries around the world.

These statistics are consistent with the findings of a report published by money.co.uk, which stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain experienced the fastest rate of tourism recovery in the world since the lifting of Covid-related restrictions on tourism and travel. The research was based on data and indicators of the performance of the tourism industry in 2021.

The BTEA has recently signed 75 agreements with tour operators in countries such as Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Spain, and Italy, the launch of a special BTEA office at Bahrain International Airport to welcome and guide tourists, the launch of an electronic system to link hotels and restaurants to the Authority and gather accurate statistics, and the launch of the Kingdom’s event listing.

The Authority also boosted its presence on social media and participated in Global Travel Week in Oman and the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) fair in Israel, for the first time. It also announced the upcoming launch of a fully-featured software for tourism in Bahrain, along with tours at the Manama Souq.

Several tourist infrastructure projects were also undertaken by the Authority, including the new Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, 70% of whose construction has been completed, as well as Bahrain Bay Beach, Galali Beach and the diving park.