MANAMA: Bahrain is to step up its efforts to promote itself as an international tourism destination, unveiling plans to increase the number of European visitors while maintaining its appeal in the Kingdom's core market of the Middle East . Tourism is already a vital component of the Bahraini economy. According to the latest projections of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the sector's contribution is expected to be just under $2 billion this year, representing 8.6 percent of GDP, rising to $4 billion by 2020. The council also predicts that the sector will expand by 3 percent this year, with growth to average a healthy 6.5 percent over the next decade. Significantly for a government looking to provide employment to a young and expanding population, the WTTC report says that by 2020 travel and tourism will account for one in every 8.1 jobs in the Kingdom, totaling 64,000 positions, or 12.4 percent of the workforce. This compares to the 45,000 jobs that the sector has currently created, representing 10 percent of the employment pool, or one in every 9.9 positions in the economy. However, while the country's tourism sector is expanding solidly, attracting increasing numbers of overseas visitors, the actual pool that Bahrain draws its tourists from is relatively narrow, with almost 90 percent coming from other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In order to meet the projected growth targets, Bahrain is looking to broaden its horizons, seeking new markets to develop, particularly in Europe . In late May, Heba Abdulaziz, the chief executive of the Ministry of Culture and Information's marketing and tourism promotion project, announced that Bahrain was in the process of developing a major international tourism promotion campaign, scheduled to be launched in the last quarter of the year, with the main focal point being the European market. As part of the initial wave of promotional activity, Abdulaziz said Bahrain would be represented at tourism expos and exhibitions in France, Spain and the UK between late September and early November. According to Abdulaziz, one of the themes of the promotional activities will be "small is beautiful", reflecting the many cultural and natural attractions of the island state. There were many new projects in the pipeline to improve the tourism offering, she said. "We have greatly improved our infrastructure and we are doing more. There will be a sea change in the coming months," said Abdulaziz. However, one segment that is already growing is cruise tourism. Until recently, Bahrain had limited success in getting itself included on the itineraries of the relatively small number of cruise lines that operated in the Gulf region. Over the past few years that has changed, with more than 150,000 ship-borne visitors coming to Bahrain in the 2009-10 cruise season. With the new season beginning in October, following the hot months of summer, Bahrain is preparing to host 100 visits by liners between then and May, well up on the numbers the preceding season. Cruise tourism has the potential to both increase the sector's earnings and have a positive impact on a wide range of sectors across the economy, including ports, airlines, hotels, restaurants, retailers and tour operators, according to Abdulaziz. "A passenger ship with 2000 tourists makes Bahrain richer (by an average of) $274,000," she told delegates attending the First Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, held in Manama in mid-May. "With more than 70 ships docking in Bahrain in the cruise season from October to May, this has translated to a substantial figure." Bahrain is not aiming to be a mass-market destination, instead aiming for quality over quantity, looking to underscore the appeal of the country's rich heritage. Indeed, the culture and information minister, Sheikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, whose portfolio includes tourism, says that Bahrain is working to grow and promote the sector, though in a focused and carefully managed way. "We have a lot of places of cultural and historical interest and we are developing them," she told the Sea trade conference. "In the very near future, we have a plan to market these to the world."
