Bahrain will generate revenue of BD86 million ($228.1 million) from the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) sector in the next two years, it was revealed.

Culture Ministry acting assistant under-secretary for tourism Nada Ahmed Yassin said this would increase from the BD58 million that has been generated until now this year.

'The MICE sector is one where we can grow tremendously and figures we have prove we are on the right track,' Yassin said.

Speaking during a 'Team Bahrain' presentation at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention centre, she said there had already been a healthy growth since 2008 when BD33 million was generated from the sector.

Team Bahrain is an initiative of Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority (BECA) to bring together all companies promoting Bahrain. It comprises more than 50 representatives from Bahrain's business and leisure tourism sectors.

The presentation, on the theme 'Welcoming the World to Bahrain', was also attended by BECA chief executive officer Hassan Jaffer Mohamed and Switzerland's Victoria University dean and MICE specialist Dr Sameh El Namaki.

'The success of MICE is a key issue and will always give us good returns,' she said.

'That is why we are investing heavily in the tourism sector that will ultimately bring the world to Bahrain.

'When they come as tourists, they will see the welcoming facilities and return for meetings as well. We are hoping word of mouth will be the greatest advertising campaign that we have,' she added.

Yassin said the cruise tourism season had taken off in Bahrain already and they hoped the spending by the visitors this season would be substantially more until the season ended in May next year.

She said there were around 40,000 cruise tourists in Bahrain during the 2006 and 2007 season, but the figure went up to 57,000 the next season. In the 2008 and 2009 season, Bahrain had 120,000 cruise tourists, while the numbers reached 150,000 in the season that ended in May this year.

Dr El Namaki said Bahrain is doing well to promote tourism and showcase its cultural heritage as a marketable product.

'That is the way to go,' he added.

He said the banking industry in the country was also flourishing.

'Bahrain is a well-known financial centre and is doing the right thing in capitalising on that.'

Dr El Namaki said Bahrain's 39th position in the world's financial centres ranking and its top status in the Middle East were incentive enough for people to come to Bahrain for MICE as well as to invest in businesses in the country.-TradeArabia News Service