BAHRAIN is to spend more than $100 million in a bid to position itself as the culture capital of the Gulf and attract more tourists from the region and beyond, says Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the kingdom’s new Minister of Culture and Information. The minister is also appointing a core team of tourism experts to help drive her vision forward.
“We first need to develop and showcase our rich heritage and culture and then embark on a strategy to market Bahrain to the region and the rest of the world,” Sheikha Mai told TTN in an exclusive interview.
But rather than rush into several projects at once, the minister intends to focus on choice initiatives. “We’ve budgeted BD40 million ($106 million) for selected projects, which marks a step in the right direction,” she said.
These include a showcase tour of Bahrain’s pearling heritage, as well as the restoration of the kingdom’s ancient burial mounds and an historic mosque.
The project on Bahrain’s pearling industry, once the mainstay of several Bahraini homes, will be located in south Muharraq over a 3.2 kilometre long ‘pathway’.
The flagship initiative will feature all aspects of the trade, from oyster beds, the pearling vessels, the boat building and repair yards, to the festivities and celebrations that took place over the pearling season, and the historic markets and residences of the pearl merchants. Audio-visual displays will further highlight the history of this once illustrious industry and the lifestyles of the people who worked in it.
“We’ve also applied to get this project listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) as a World Heritage site,” the minister said.
Another project involves the restoration of the Dilmun burial mounds, which date back to 3000 BC. Spread across a wide expanse in A’ali, the mounds are in a state of disrepair, ravaged by the elements and neglect.
The ministry had sought funds from Bahrain’s bankers to drive this initiative ahead, but with the current downturn, will now turn to government funding. “Once we complete its restoration, we will recommend the burial mounds for listing as a World Heritage site,” said Sheikha Mai, who also has plans to restore the Al Khamis Mosque and promote it as a tourist site.
Among other initiatives, Sheikha Mai wants to further promote the Bahrain national Theatre as she believes it can educate people about their traditions, culture and heritage. “People in Bahrain must be encouraged to take pride in their cultural wealth as they can be our best ambassadors for tourism,” she said.
Bahrain currently draws more than 5 million tourists a year, mostly from the GCC states and tourism arrivals are projected to rise on an average of 2.5 per cent over the next decade. Indeed, latest statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Information’s tourism affairs division show that tourist arrivals have risen by an average of 10 to 15 per cent a year over the last three years and that in 2007, Bahrain attracted as many as 5.5 million tourists, 4.9 million of which were from other GCC states.
As a business and leisure destination, Bahrain boasts its annual Formula One race, which has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact since its debut in 2004, in addition to its world-class five-star hotels and resorts, convention centres, mega shopping malls and historical attractions.
However, Sheikha Mai is confident that Bahrain will pull in more international visitors once her new cultural blueprint is in place. “We are not ready to compete with the big players and a lot needs to be done before we open our doors to visitors from across the world,” she says. “For now, I’m happy to tap into the regional market which accounts for 89 per cent of all arrivals.”
Sheikha Mai insists that each GCC state has its own unique attractions and does not compete with the other. “We need to work together and offer a comprehensive package which gives tourists an insight into the unique character of each country. We must not imitate the west, rather preserve and uphold Bahraini traditions and heritage as this gives us our identity,” says Sheikha Mai, who wants the private sector, including airlines, hotels, and tour operators, to work with the government in developing tourism.
“Our efforts should be multi-pronged but the mission is singular: to promote Bahrain as a world class destination,” she adds.
Meanwhile, Sheikha Mai has appointed industry veterans Dr Heba Abdulaziz, who previously worked as an advisor at Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, Marwan Khoury, the former managing director of the Jordan Tourism Board, and a Lebanese-American broadcast industry veteran among her core team of advisors.
This team will play a key role in helping the minister implement new projects while envisioning a clear and focussed tourism strategy.
Internationally, Bahrain will market itself this year at ITB in Berlin, Germany; the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) in Dubai, UAE; and the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London, UK; in addition to the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE), which is held in Bahrain.
Among other developments, Sheikha Mai is delighted that Unesco’s World heritage Committee will hold its 2011 annual meeting in Bahrain, an event which attracts 1,500 visitors from across the world.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for us to showcase Bahrain to the world. We must spare no effort in making this event a success and I’m having sleepless nights just thinking about this mega event and to make it work,” she confesses.
Looking ahead, Sheikha Mai is confident that Bahrain will one day become a world-leading destination. “We must work towards a 25 per cent growth in tourist arrivals over the next decade, and make tourism a significant revenue earner. To this end, the government and the private sector need to work as a team, to make this happen.”
by Sara Abraham