A delegation from the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) concluded its participation in the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, a leading trade event for the cruise ship sector, which took place on December 12 and 13 in Dubai.

The event, held on the sidelines of the Dubai Maritime Week, brought together experts and decision-makers from the region with an aim of providing the necessary platform to enhance business with owners, operators, managers and professionals engaged in procurement, equipment and services in the cruise ship sector. A range of topics and themes related to the status and future of the maritime sector in the Middle East was also discussed.

Speaking at during a panel discussion held on the sidelines of the event, director of Marketing and Tourism Promotions at BTEA, Yousuf Al Khan, said that extending the cruise season for two months before and after the current date would have a positive impact on the national economy.

"We are delighted to have successfully participated in the event, which comes as part of the authority's efforts to strengthen the kingdom's tourism status regionally and internationally. We have always been keen to participate in all regional and international exhibitions and events, which is an excellent opportunity to meet with other major companies operating in the tourism sector and government agencies to discuss the latest developments. We aim to attract investment and increase the number of visitors to the kingdom,” he added.

Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum is one of the most important international cruise events and is the ideal platform to enhance Bahrain's position as a leading tourism destination among international exhibitors. The BTEA’s participation in the event aims to promote the kingdom of Bahrain as a destination for tourist vessels in line with its tourism strategy "Ours Yours" which was launched by the authority in cooperation with the Economic Development Board. The aim of the tourism strategy is to increase the number of visitors to the kingdom and to increase the contribution of the tourism sector to the economy.

Since its launch in 2011, Seatrade Middle East has become one of the leading events in the region, making it the perfect platform to highlight the kingdom's distinctive tourism features and to promote them among the most important stakeholders, institutions and companies operating in the cruise ship industry. - TradeArabia News Service