Agreement is expected to boost sales to airline's newest destination

Agreement is expected to boost tourism from the Middle East to Copenhagen

Copenhagen, 6th July 2011: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain signed a joint marketing agreement with Copenhagen Connected, the Route Development Program of Copenhagen, to aggressively drive inbound tourism from the Middle East to Copenhagen through Gulf Air's efficient Bahrain hub.

The agreement was signed recently at a press conference marking the airline's inaugural flight to Copenhagen by Gulf Air's Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Karim Makhlouf, and Managing Director of Wonderful Copenhagen, and Chairman of the steering committee of the Copenhagen Connected Program, Mr. Lars Bernhard Jørgensen.

The joint approach will focus on marketing and promotion of the airline's services to Copenhagen throughout the Middle East region specifically aimed at increasing the number of visitors travelling on Gulf Air's flights to Copenhagen and generating additional revenue for the Copenhagen economy.

Gulf Air's primary role in the context of the agreement is the promotion of Copenhagen through its marketing initiatives to drive tourism traffic from the Middle East to Denmark. The focus of Connect Copenhagen under the agreement is to ensure that Copenhagen is positioned as an attractive destination for tourism.

Mr. Makhlouf commented, "We are delighted to enter this mutual cooperation agreement with Copenhagen Connected to promote Copenhagen in the Gulf region as the vast Middle East market provides enormous growth potential for tourism in Copenhagen. We believe that with the opening of our new Copenhagen connection and aggressive marketing campaign in collaboration with Connected Copenhagen, Denmark will soon become a popular destination for tourists from the region."

Mr. Lars Bernhard Jørgensen from Wonderful Copenhagen said, "Through this agreement we will be able to increase our efforts to make sure we reach as deep as possible into the Middle East market and get as many visitors as possible to come directly to Copenhagen. Bahrain and the Middle East is an important market for both trade and tourism, and this partnership will help to serve the growing demand for services between the two countries."

Gulf Air operates four weekly flights between Bahrain and Copenhagen as below:   

Flt No

Frequency

Dept Airport

Dept Time

Arrv Airport

Arrv Time

GF 027

Mon/Wed/ Fri/Sun

BAH

01:40

CPH

07:00

GF 026

Mon/Wed/ Fri/Sun

CPH

11:00

BAH

18:50

-Ends-

About Gulf Air
Founded in 1950, Gulf Air is the proud national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. As a pioneering airline in the Middle East region with sixty years of experience and expertise in flying people across continents, Gulf Air is today one of the most powerful brands and a name to reckon with in the global aviation industry.

One of the prime objectives of Gulf Air is to connect Bahrain to the Middle East countries and the rest of the world. As such the airline currently operates the largest network in the Middle East with non-stop flights while providing seamless onward connections to other international destinations. The airline's current network stretches from Europe to Asia, connecting 49 cities in 32 countries, with a fleet of 35 aircraft. 

In tune with the Kingdom's economic blue print, 'Vision 2030', Gulf Air's strategy is to build an efficient, commercially sustainable and dynamic airline that effectively serves the people and the economy of Bahrain and represents the Kingdom on the world stage. Reflecting the needs and aspirations of its customers, the strategy focuses on three core areas: a targeted, more focused international network, a superior, more consistent product and a modern, more efficient fleet that will optimize value. However, Gulf Air's goal remains unchanged; its commitment to the latest aviation technology complemented by its hallmark Arabian hospitality for which the airline is well known.   

For more information please visit www.gulfair.com   

For media enquiries, please contact:
Katherine Kaczynska
Senior Manager Corporate Communications
Gulf Air Tel: +973 17338416 - +973 36500292
Email: katherine.kaczynska@gulfair.com

© Press Release 2011