Pariño, Renzell Ann M.
TM 4-1

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

A NEW Supreme Committee for Tourism is set to be formed in Bahrain, under the direction of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. The ministerial committee, which was first proposed following a meeting between the Crown Prince and the Culture Ministry last December, is part of a new tourism strategy designed to boost visitor numbers over the next four years. It will work to strengthen the country’s institutional and legislative framework in support of the tourism industry, Culture Ministry tourism affairs adviser Dr Heba Abdulaziz told the GDN. “The move involves establishing a tourism development fund for Bahrain,” said Dr Abdulaziz. “This will be a dedicated fund for product development, marketing and capacity building –primarily funded by the five per cent tourism tax.” It aims to increase tourism’s contribution to the economy through a variety of methods – such as developing unique products and experiences that make Bahrain’s offering to tourists more attractive, and rebranding the country as a “boutique destination” replete with cultural heritage.
Bahrain tourism to rebrand as 'boutique destination'

Bahrain has launched a new tourism strategy, rebranding the country as a "boutique destination".
The Bahrain Tourism Strategy 2015-2018 will focus on promoting the country’s “experiences”, including pearling, exploring the Arabian nature, culture trails, visiting the Formula One and a variety of festivals, Gulf Daily News reported.
The kingdom announced in March that it would create one of the world's largest offshore preservation sites, which it claimed would enable it to compete against the Maldives for tourists.
The Northern Heyrat Preserve would include four natural pearling sites off the north coast of the country, covering 1350 square kilometres of sea, including the 2-kilometre Pearl Route, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tourism presently represents about only 2 percent of Bahrain’s gross domestic product.
The sector declined about 17 percent in 2011 due to violent political instability, according to tourism affairs adviser and strategy project head Dr Heba Abdulaziz, who also said $556 million had been invested in the industry in recent years.
Bahraini tourism relies on Saudi bachelors who travel from the conservative kingdom.
Four out of five visitors to Bahrain arrive from Saudi Arabia via the King Fahad Causeway, with nearly 90 percent of them Saudi nationals, Gulf Daily News reported.
The country presently lacks attractions and has little to compete against neighbouring Gulf states, particularly the UAE and Qatar, which are spending hundreds of millions of dollars boosting their sectors.
Abdulaziz said low service standards and an outdated tourism law – including stringent visa requirements – and limited international airport capacity were restricting the tourism industry.
"There is a high dependency on one market segment in particular - bachelors from Saudi - and a lack of training opportunities for public officials involved in managing the tourism sector and limited public-private sector co-ordination and co-operation only add to the challenges."
The strategy also plans to encourage more young Bahrainis into the sector.

Masterplan urged to attract more citizens
ENCOURAGING more Bahrainis to work in tourism is a key part of the Culture Ministry’s strategy over the next four years. The number of citizens working in the sector, known as ‘Bahrainisation rate’, has fallen dramatically in the past decade from a high of 33 per cent or more to last year’s figure of just 18pc. A human resources development masterplan must now be developed to attract more Bahrainis into the industry, according to Culture Ministry tourism affairs adviser Dr Heba Abdulaziz. “We have to develop a bundle of incentives to encourage Bahrainis to work in the tourism industry,” she said. “Working conditions must improve and business start-ups must be increased by nourishing an entrepreneurial environment within the tourism industry. “Raising the competence and productivity of tourism employees, strengthening tourism education and training provision, introducing a tour guide training and licensing scheme, and launching a domestic tourism awareness campaign are also part of this strategy.”
According to the latest figures collated by the Central Informatics Organisation, 20,387 people were employed in the tourism industry last year – with the greatest number, 22pc, in five-star hotels, followed by four-star hotels at 24pc, three-star hotels at 12pc and restaurants at 10pc. However, hotels of any grade struggled to attract employees from the country’s citizenry with Bahrainis accounting for fewer than one in five employees even at five-star hotels, said Dr Abdulaziz. “The travel and tourism sector’s Bahrainisation rate was 18pc in 2013, or 3,658 people, and the rate was highest in the airline sector where 46pc of employees are Bahraini,” she said. “This was followed by travel agencies with 31pc, concert organising offices with 24pc, land transport with 20pc and five-star hotels with 18pc. “The Bahrainisation rate was lowest in basic accommodation – with six to 15pc – and restaurants with 15pc.”
The GDN reported in April that a five-year strategy was being launched in a bid to encourage more Bahrainis to work in the hospitality sector. Plans had been approved by the Cabinet for a specialized training institute, which would seek to change misconceptions among citizens that the industry is “not compatible with social values”. In April 2005, the GDN reported that Bahrainis represented 44pc of the travel and tourism workforce – up from 19pc at the start of the Bahrainisation programme.

Bahrain's four-year strategy to focus on an 'experience-led' approach

UNIQUE experiences that make a trip both enjoyable and memorable must be at the heart of what Bahrain can offer its tourists.
This is one of the main messages of the Culture Ministry's Bahrain Tourism Strategy 2015-2018, which calls for an "experience-led" approach to the sector that aims to steer visitors towards pre-packaged tours featuring the country's best attractions and cultural heritage.
The ministry envisages a raft of different options for tourists to take advantage of, its tourism affairs adviser and strategy project leader Dr Heba Abdulaziz told the GDN.
"We have identified seven unique experiences which will be developed using the tourism value chain approach," she said.
"We have to make sure that tourism communicates and celebrates the intrinsic cultural values and heritage assets of Bahrain.
"We must also encourage tourism businesses to embrace environmental measures and create a general understanding of tourism sustainability principles, as well as the principles of community-based tourism."
The list of experiences includes:
In the Footsteps of Jacques Cartier - an exploration of pearling in Bahrain. Named after a founding member of the famous French jewellery company Cartier, who came to Bahrain in 1921 in search of the perfect pearl. This experience will include pearl diving at Al Dar Island, visiting pearl traders whose families have worked in the industry for decades and walking the Pearl Route in Muharraq - a Unesco World Heritage Site. Projects to be completed include a pearl museum, a boutique hotel on the pearling route, a brochure and an app.
Arabia Nature Experience - island, palms, desert, springs and oil. This experience will include a stay at a planned eco-lodge on Hawar Islands to see the dugongs and migratory birds, a visit to the Tree of Life and Dar An Naft (Bapco's Oil Museum) as well as an overnight stay at planned open-air palm tree exhibition.
The Culture Trail - an insight into Bahrain's diverse cultural heritage, including visits to the country's world heritage sites and Bahrain National Museum. Other ports of call include the National Theatre, the planned 'Little India District', the restored old houses of Muharraq and a visit to the country's suqs.
Family Fun Experience - includes shopping, sports and fun on the water, as well as visits to the theatre and cinema, children's activity camps and a stay at a beach resort.
The Winning Formula Experience - a vehicle lover's dream, including a drive in a Ferrari at Bahrain International Circuit, a tour of the country by motorbike, a sea trip in a traditional dhow and a one-day open bus tour.
The Festive Spirit Experience - a visit to Bahrain during festival time, such as the Bahrain Summer Festival, the Spring of Culture, the Giffoni Film Festival for children and the planned Festival of the Sea, Kite Festival and Palm Festival.
Gourmet Bahrain Experience - an exploration of all the culinary delights that Bahrain has to offer, including visits to the eateries of Block 338 and an opportunity for tourists to taste and take home a package of traditional spices and sweets.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/bahrain-tourism-rebrand-as-boutique-destination--559886.html#.VHko_4uUf14

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=383180

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/XXXVII/136/pdf/page06.pdf