The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and Labor Fund Tamkeen signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today (July 11) to support the development of  the Online Hotel Integration Project recently launched by the BTEA.

The MoU is in line with kingdom’s strategy to further develop the tourism industry and encourage the private sector establishments to invest in this robust industry.  

The Online Hotel Integration Project links all the data related to the hotel industry under one system. The system will be updated periodically with the latest figures and data.

The signing ceremony was held between BTEA chief executive officer Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa and Tamkeen chief executive officer Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi in the presence of senior management from both entities.  

As a part of the MoU, Tamkeen will cover 50 per cent of the total cost of the project by supporting the three-star, two-star and one-star hotels, along with hotel apartments. The other hotels are currently listed and included in the project which will be completed within one year, said a statement.

“We are pleased to cooperate with Tamkeen to further develop the project that primarily aims to enhance the capabilities of the hotel establishments in the kingdom and create a database that measures their real contribution of the sector to the GDP,” said Shaikh Khaled.

“Such e-services effectively contribute to the development of the kingdom’s tourism sector and it is vital to keep pace with the global digital evolution. The Online Hotel Integration Project is a step in the right direction and we are aware that we need to continuously improve our e-services based on the international trends and standards,” he added.

Dr Janahi said: “We believe in the growing role of the tourism and hotel sector in the kingdom as one of the key economic sectors. We aim to support its growth and fully support its needs.

“During the last decade, we supported around 40,000 companies from the private sector across various industries in order to elevate the economy and achieve Tamkeen’s mission to position the private sector as a main contributor to the national economy,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service