Bahrain to start pearl diving trips for tourists
MANAMA, December 6, 2017
The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has announced the launch of the first tourist pearl diving trip from Ras Raya Port in the Muharraq Governorate of the kingdom.
The announcement is in line with the national plan to revive the pearl industry, which was approved by the Government Executive Committee chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, said a statement from BTEA.
The move is aimed at protecting the marine environment and support sustainable pearl diving activities.
As per the rules laid out by the BTEA, pearl diving trips in the kingdom can only be undertaken through licenced diving centres. Also the only starting point for these tourist trips will be the Ras Raya Port in Muharraq.
Unveiling the details, CEO Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa said pearl diving trips in the kingdom can only be undertaken through licenced diving centres in Bahrain. Also the only starting point for these tourist trips will be the Ras Raya Port in Muharraq.
He pointed out that the interested parties can obtain a full list of licensed pearl diving centres through www.pearldiving.bh, a website dedicated to providing all the necessary information related to pearl diving activities in the kingdom.
The BTEA said each participant must buy a ticket from either the website or the tourist office at Ras Raya Port before the start of any pearl diving trip.
The BTEA stressed that, in the interest of environmental protection, pearl diving activities must be conducted according to regulatory procedures. Regulations allow participants to catch up to 60 oysters on each trip, it added.
Lauding HRH Prince Salman for the implementation of the national plan to revive the pearl industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Shaikh Khaled said the initiatives of the Government Executive Committee were aimed at protecting the marine environment and the carefully constructed regulations were to ensure Bahrain’s rich natural heritage is safeguarded.
"The national plan to revive the pearl industry in Bahrain, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Government Executive Committee, aims to protect the marine environment and strengthen the regulations around it," he added.
This initiative is in line with the BTEA’s long-term strategy to develop the tourism sector in conjunction with Bahrain’s newly instituted Tourism Identity (Bahrain, Ours, Yours), which focuses on the promotion of Bahraini tourism both regionally and globally in line with the Kingdom's Economic Vision 2030.-TradeArabia News Service
