The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the arrival of two cruise ships - MSC Bellisima and AIDAprima - on December 11, carrying more than 7,000 passengers on board.

Representatives of the BTEA prepared a set of activities for the visitors onboard the cruise ships, who were welcomed them with sweets and Arabic coffee, and given a glimpse into the rich history of Bahrain and the hospitality of its people. Visitors also had the opportunity to take memorable photos with a falcon or have their hands decorated with traditional henna designs.

BTEA works closely with a group of governmental entities and tour operators to enhance visitor experience and ensure a smooth journey to the kingdom. During their stay, visitors were introduced to the following tourist destinations in the kingdom: Royal Camel Farm, Manama Souq, Al Fateh Grand Mosque, Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain Fort, Bahrain National Museum, Bu Maher Fort, Shaikh Ebrahim Center and the Old Houses of Muharraq.

“The BTEA’s strategy focuses on four main pillars including Awareness, Attraction, Access and Accommodation, in addition to developing the kingdom’s ports and marine facilities to attract more incoming tourist ships in the region and increase the number visitors coming into the kingdom. We aim to double the contribution of the tourism sector in the national economy seeking to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the non-oil sectors in order to achieve the Economic Vision 2030,” said chief executive officer of BTEA, Nader Khalil Al Moayyed.

“Due to the ongoing growth of Bahrain as a destination for cruise ships, we look forward to receiving more in the coming months within the tourist season that continues during the months of October and April, and we expect that the number of trips this season will amount to 61 trips that include approximately 100,000 visitors” he added.

Hosting the cruise ships comes as part of the BTEA’s long term strategy to further develop the kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours. Yours.’ which contributes towards the kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision. - TradeArabia News Service

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