Bahrain's cruise season kicked off on Wednesday with the arrival of German cruise ship, Aida Blu, carrying around 2,400 tourists and 650 crew members, in the port of Hidd.

An official delegation from the Ministry of Culture – Tourism Sector headed by Assistant Undersecretary of Tourism, Nada Ahmed Yaseen welcomed the group in the traditional Bahraini way in the presence of traditional bands as they arrived at the Khalifa bin Salman Port.

The delegation made all the necessary arrangements in co-operation with the concerned authorities to ensure a successful and dynamic cruise season.

They co-ordinated with Ministry of Interior, General Traffic Directorate, Customs, the General Organisation of Sea Ports in addition to APM terminals, the company that runs the operations at KBSP besides the shipping and tourism firms and tour operators to ensure a smooth reception and movement of tourists within the Kingdom.

Nada Yaseen said, 'Improvement in the quality of services offered to visitors is crucial to boost the tourism sector and attract more tourists to the kingdom, which in turn will generate significant revenue for concerned sectors and the national economy as a whole.'

'Cruise tourism is an emerging industry on which the Ministry of Culture- Tourism Sector  will focus in the future to boost Bahrain's status as a preferred tourist destination on regional and international levels,' she added.

The Ministry of Culture - Tourism Sector organized a special reception area for tourists at the Khalifa bin Salman Port, setting up a large tent to exhibit and offering local products and handicrafts which represent the Kingdoms vast heritage.

A representation of Bahrain’s art was expressed through a local folklore band that was set up inside the tent in order to introduce tourist to the art and culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In addition, the tourism ministry also printed promotional materials in German offering full information about tourist attractions within the Kingdom of Bahrain.

A full program was prepared to introduce tourists to the unique culture and heritage that Bahrain has to offer, said the ministry officials.

It includes visits to the Bahrain Fort Site registered as a World Heritage location (Unesco), the National Museum, Al-Fateh Mosque, the Tree of Life, ancient houses and Al-Jasrah Handicraft Center, Historical forts in addition to visiting modern developments such as the Bahrain International Circuit and many more.

The tourists will be accompanied by qualified tourist guides who speak a variety of languages, the officials said.

Aida Blu is expected to make 14 out of 15 confirmed trips to Bahrain during the cruise season, which continues until April.

Approximately 34,000 tourists and 9100 crew are expected to be on board these cruise ships visiting the Kingdom over this period, they added.-TradeArabia News Service