Seventy-one per cent of tourists to Bahrain prefer to stay in hotels over other accommodations including furnished apartments, according to a new study.

Global real estate consultancy CBRE has released its 2019 Bahrain Market Snapshot for the first quarter of the year, which states that the hospitality industry continues to be one of the prime drivers of economic growth with over 12 million visitors per annum – increasing on average of eight per cent year-on-year (YoY) since 2012.

Residents from Saudi Arabia were the most frequent travellers to the country in the first quarter, with 87pc of the total inbound tourists registered at King Fahad Causeway.

CBRE’s records also showed that the majority of visitors travelled to Bahrain for the purpose of holiday and leisure, comprising 63pc of the total number of people entering the country.

The second main reason for travel was to visit friends and relatives which made up 17pc of the market.

“The majority of tourists, comprising 71pc of the total, are seen to have preferred to stay in hotels during their stay in Bahrain, while 17pc opted for more affordable and spacious furnished apartment options,” stated the report.

Data also showed that the average length of stay last year was recorded at three nights, while there were 5,080 keys among the country’s five-star properties.

Occupancy

The Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), which calculates the total room revenue for a stay, during the first quarter of this year was at BD32 which is increasing by 3.2pc YoY, while the occupancy level recorded was 55pc, an increase of 4.9pc YoY.

However, the report states that the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was at BD59, which is reducing by 1.6pc YoY.

CBRE Bahrain strategic advisory head James Lynn said the tourism sector was expected to experience a further boost with a 5.2pc YoY increase in five-star hotel key supply and a 4.9pc YoY increase in occupancy rates.

“The hospitality industry is expected to carry on creating genuine value for the country’s economy with a collection of niche development opportunities across the resort and city hotel markets,” he said.

“Tourism is a key aspect of Bahrain’s 2030 vision and as the tourism figures continue to rise, it is important for developers, operators and service providers to have a thorough understanding of changing consumer habits, to ensure they are well-positioned to deliver a strategy that serves the needs of travellers and the market alike.”

Bahrain has set a target of increasing the tourism numbers from 12 million visitors last year to 14.6m by 2022, and further increase the sector’s GDP contribution to 8.3pc by 2022.

According to Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority statistics, a daily average spend of BD80 per visitor was recorded during last year, and the 2022 target is to take it to BD97.9.

© Copyright 2019 www.gdnonline.com

Copyright 2019 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Disclaimer: The content of this article is syndicated or provided to this website from an external third party provider. We are not responsible for, and do not control, such external websites, entities, applications or media publishers. The body of the text is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither we nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this article. Read our full disclaimer policy here.