Bahrain’s Optimistic Outlook: Indian Tourist Arrivals to Recover by 2023
During the pre-Covid period in 2019, Bahrain welcomed over 1.26 million Indian visitors, comprising both tourists and business travelers. Now, Bahrain is aiming to surpass those levels and attract even more tourists from India. The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority is intensifying its marketing and promotional efforts to achieve this goal.
Nasser Ali Qaedi, CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority, emphasized the importance of the Indian market and expressed the desire to surpass pre-Covid tourist footfalls from India. To accomplish this, Bahrain is collaborating with local partners and has recently signed agreements with over 100 tour operators globally, including two dozen from India.
Bahrain is also engaging in discussions with relevant authorities to enhance connectivity and increase the number of flights between India and Bahrain. Qaedi highlighted the focus on two key sectors to boost tourist footfalls: leisure and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events/Exhibitions (MICE). The aim is to position Bahrain as a unique boutique island destination, appealing to premium travelers, families, couples, and those seeking experiential travel across all age groups. Additionally, Bahrain is targeting the MICE segment and exploring themes such as weddings and international sporting events.
As an island destination, Bahrain offers waterfront tourism, maritime experiences, and activities like deep-sea diving and serene beaches. The country is investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure to host global sporting events and has successfully organized events like the FIBA World Cup, world dart championship, and sailing events.
Qaedi noted that Bahrain’s tourism sector is on track for recovery, with steady growth in international visitors. In 2019, Bahrain received 11 million international visitors, and despite the impact of Covid-19, the country hosted over 3.6 million travelers in 2021 and expects to surpass 9.9 million visitors by the end of 2022. Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, are Bahrain’s top source markets. India and the European Union also rank among the top five source markets for Bahrain in terms of tourist footfalls.
Bahrain’s tourism recovery has been remarkable, with a 92% recovery rate from pre-Covid levels, surpassing the global average of 60-65%. The country is aiming to generate 1 billion Bahraini dinars in tourism revenues in 2022, equivalent to its pre-Covid numbers in 2019.
To accommodate the growing demand, Bahrain is expanding its hotel capacity. Currently, the country has 22,000 hotel rooms, and this number is set to increase with the addition of 15 new hotels in the coming year. Bahrain’s infrastructure development is aligned with its growing accommodation capacity to cater to the increasing number of events and activities hosted in the country.
