The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the beginning of the cruise ship season, with the arrival of Azamara Cruises on November 4.

The cruise ship, sailing under the Azamara Quest cruise line, had over 600 tourists onboard from different nationalities.

“The cruise season has kicked off in the Kingdom of Bahrain and we look forward to receiving more cruise ships over the next few months, further developing the kingdom’s tourism sector and contributing towards the development of the national economy,” said the director of tourism marketing and promotions at BTEA, Yousif Al Khan.

“We appreciate the joint efforts from all governmental entities and cruise ship operators who are facilitating the passengers' journey through Khalifa Bin Salman Port. These ships contribute in the arrival of multi-national passengers to the kingdom and exposing them to its rich history and tourism offerings, which make it an ideal tourism destination,” he added.

A tour around the kingdom was organised for the visitors and they got the chance to visit some of Bahrain’s tourist attractions and learn about its contemporary and ancient sites including Bahrain International Circuit, Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre, Bahrain National Museum, Al Fateh Grand Mosque and Manama Souq.

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 to the kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision. - TradeArabia News Service