Abu Dhabi-based Rotana, with hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey, is stepping up its collaboration with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) and Gulf Air to support Bahrain’s evolution as a global travel destination.
At the Rotana Hotels 2019 GCC Roadshow, Guy Hutchinson, acting CEO of Rotana, said the company will launch "new initiatives" to promote the kingdom's tourism and investment opportunities in key international markets.
"Thanks to its reputation as a key banking and financial hub in the region, the kingdom also has been frequented by corporate travelers," said Hutchinson. "Reflecting its strong business and leisure travel credentials, the country posted a 6 percent growth in visitor arrivals in 2018, as compared to the previous year. We expect to see a sharp rise in international overnight visitation in the coming years on the back of new initiatives by both the public and private sectors to promote the kingdom’s tourism. Furthermore, the country’s thriving meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry and fast-growing FinTech ecosystem will further energize the travel and tourism sector, attracting new investments and visitors."
Bahrain reported 10.3 million tourists in 2018, up from 9.7 million the previous year and experienced a 22.3 percent increase in the number of tourism nights spent in the country to reach 9.8 million, compared with 8 million in 2017. Similarly, the kingdom’s hospitality sector saw positive growth in the average length of stay per tourist, which increased by 18.9 percent, from 2.4 nights in 2017 to 2.8 nights last year.
"With its positive outlook and growth prospects, the travel and tourism sector in Bahrain presents a brighter future for the hospitality sector," said Hutchinson. "For Rotana, the kingdom always has remained a key growth market and we have been promoting its tourism through our global sales offices in Europe, in collaboration with Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority and Gulf Air. We remain committed to deepening our cooperation to pursue our shared vision of promoting the country’s tourism, business and investment opportunities to help it meet the objectives of the Economic Vision 2030."