Interview: Bahrain targets China as main tourism market: senior official

MANAMA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Bahrain's ambitious tourism strategy will target China as one of the Gulf country's main markets, a senior tourism official of the country said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Bahrain is working on different plans and strategies, including roadshows, exhibitions and special tours, to attract Chinese tourists, Nasser Qaedi, chief executive of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), told Xinhua.

"China will be one of the main focus markets for the BTEA over the coming years," Qaedi said, adding they want to raise awareness among the Chinese tourists that Bahrain has diverse tourism offerings for them.

The Bahraini official also highlighted the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center in Sakhir, the largest exhibition center in the Middle East that is built on an area of 278,900 square meters and set to open next year.

"Bahrain will soon be an international hub for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry with the opening of the largest exhibition center in the region in 2022," he said. "We will collaborate with the Chinese market on this initiative as it will support China in promoting its exhibitions to an international audience."

Bahrain recently announced its Economic Recovery Plan to boost post-pandemic growth, with more than 30 billion U.S. dollars to be invested in strategic projects.

Earlier this month, Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Alzayani announced the country's 2022-2026 tourism strategy which aims to diversify its economic portfolio and increase the total number of tourists to 14.1 million by 2026.

On the measures taken including vaccination to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Qaedi said they have achieved success with low daily cases and made Bahrain one of the safest countries to visit.

"In recent months we have seen a steady increase in visitor numbers to the kingdom and expect more growth in the near future," he said.

Last year, Bahrain participated in the successful phase-three clinical trials for the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, with 7,700 volunteers.