Global Arab Network | Bahrain sailing to lucrative cruise travel

Translate this article to your language:

GANPublications

e-Publications

Add Site to Favorites

Add Page to Favorites

Make Homepage

Share This Page

RSS Feed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |

Bahrain sailing to lucrative cruise travel

Sunday, 18 April 2010 23:20

Bahrain is working to get a bigger slice of the lucrative cruise tourism segment, which has seen steady growth over the past few years.

Tourism already makes a major contribution to the Kingdom's economy, with the industry generating around 12% of GDP, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information, a figure the state and the sector want to see rise to 25% by 2020.

One area that has been targeted for development is the cruise segment. This season, running from November to May, more than 70 cruise ships are to berth in Bahrain, with each vessel estimated to bring in some $300,000, representing a combined revenue of $21m or more for the national economy.

Simon Mayle, the Middle Eastern marketing manager for Seatrade, a shipping industry publisher and events firm, says there is strong potential for cruise tourism in the Kingdom, especially given the cooperation between the public and private sectors.

"The cruise industry in Bahrain is only just taking off and is likely to do very well in the future," he said in an interview with regional press on February 26. "Bahrain's tourism authority is already bringing together hotels, the port, tour operators, agents, airport and Customs to ensure a smooth stop for cruise lines."

Bahrain will likely look to emulate neighbouring Dubai in the cruise tourism segment, with the emirate realising the sector's potential early, constructing the necessary infrastructure and delivering attractive marketing campaigns to lure in cruise lines. With the major lines basing their operations out of Dubai, overseas passengers fly into the emirate before setting sail, and fly out again at the end of their voyage.

However, there is no reason other Gulf countries cannot get in on the action, and Bahrain is certainly well placed to do so. After all, there would be many advantages in having cruise ships home-porting in the Kingdom. Among these are the sale of supplies and services needed by a liner carrying a few thousand passengers and crew, revenue generated through port fees and charges, and the flow of cash from ships' crews spending what time they have in the area. Therefore, the 120,000 liner passengers on the 70 or so ships expected to visit Bahrain this year will make a significant contribution to the country's economy.

Dubai has led the way in Gulf cruise tourism and Bahrain will no doubt look to ways of attracting cruise lines to make more use of its port facilities. However, the primary objective for the Kingdom is likely to be the development of niche attractions for visitors. Although the annual Formula One racing event held on the island already attracts thousands of people from across the globe, giving the Kingdom considerable international exposure, more events and draws would provide Bahrain with a competitive advantage over its neighbours.

The enhancement of facilities and improvements in services for cruise passengers when they dock and go ashore could also help in establishing a more tourism-friendly environment.

An example of this are the expensive rates charged by taxis in the Kingdom, often putting off tourists that are docked on cruise liners and willing to explore the island. As part of a better tourism offering, providing multilingual, well-trained taxi drivers that take into account safety, cleanliness and a clear metering policy, would certainly aid the aim of attracting cruisers, as well as enhancing the broader tourism appeal.

As the global economy continues to stabilise, Bahrain will be looking to take advantage of the expected swell in tourism numbers across the region, with the cruise market in particular offering lucrative opportunities. Though the segment remains highly competitive, any improvements in offerings and services that help attract cruise lines to Bahrain's shores will also likely benefit the wider tourism economy as a whole.

Global Arab Network

This article is published in partnership with Oxford Business Group

Add comment

The opinions of the authors in articles published are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Arab Network
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published comments are the opinions of private individuals and do not reflect the views of Global Arab Network