BTEA keen to boost tourist services: CEO

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority is keen to continually enhance its tourist services and facilities, said CEO Shaikh Khaled Bin Humood Al Khalifa. Addressing participants during a meeting by the French Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Bahrain (FCCIB), the Chief Executive Officer said that BTEA continues to invest in a number of projects which aim to develop the tourism sector’s potential on a global level and ultimately place Bahrain on the international map of travel and hospitality.

“Bahrain is currently witnessing the launch of several international hotel chains and apartments with 22 new properties set to open in the next 4 years,” Shaikh Khaled said during the meeting held at Crowne Plaza on 20th of February. The conference and networking luncheon was titled “The Current and Future Projects in the Tourism and Exhibitions Sector in Bahrain.” Bahrain, Shaikh Khaled said, has welcomed a total of 9.7 million visitors in 2015, this number has increased to 12 million in 2018.

“The number of tourist nights spent in the Kingdom reached 9 million in 2015 and rose to 13m in 2018, and the average stay of visitors in Bahrain was 2.26 nights in 2015 and reached 2.8 in 2018. The direct contribution of tourism as a non-oil sector in GDP has increased from 4.6 per cent in 2015 to 6.5pc in 2018,” he added.