The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), in cooperation with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), organised a field visit to Bahrain International Airport (BIA) to oversee the progress of an on-site survey that covered BIA and the King Fahd Causeway, and aimed at enhancing tourism data sources.

Duaa Sultan Mohamed, iGA Deputy Chief Executive of Statistics and Population Registry, Dana Al Saad, BTEA Deputy Chief Executive of Resources and Projects, and several directors and officials from both authorities, were part of the visit to the site, where a field team is carrying out the 2024 Tourism Survey that was launched in January and will continue until December.

Sultan Mohamed underscored the significance of this survey as a national project aligning with the government's aspirations and supporting the initiatives outlined in the Government Plan (2023 – 2026).

The survey aims to create a chronological database of visitor characteristics and experiences in the Kingdom following a statistical methodology aligned with international standards set by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

He highlighted that the survey supports strategic initiatives aimed at fostering growth in the tourism sector, subsequently benefiting related economic sectors.

Al Saad emphasised that tourism statistics surveys are essential for monitoring and directing the performance of the tourism sector.

Implementing these surveys provides timely and up to date indicators. She underlined the importance of conducting surveys of incoming visitors at BIA, considering them crucial for measuring the key metrics of the 2022-2026 tourism strategy.

She highlighted the strong connection between the tourism and aviation sectors. Surveys conducted at the airport support internationally-recognized methodologies, ensuring accurate monitoring and evaluation of visitors' journeys.

The airport serves as the first stop for international visitors, making field surveys essential for assessing tourist experiences. Suggestions and observations from surveys help provide seamless services and create the ideal tourist experience, she said.

The Tourism Survey project was launched by the iGA in partnership with BTEA in 2015. A joint implementation plan to enhance tourism data sources was formulated, guided by international recommendations from the UNWTO.

The efforts of both authorities played a crucial role in driving Bahrain’s rank by 52 places in the 2024 inclusiveness index of Tourism and Travel data by World Economic Forum.

The project earned praise from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for its efforts in developing tourism statistics in recent years.

It successfully established a comprehensive statistical database covering various tourism aspects such as supply, demand, and accounting. This includes visitor flows, characteristics, and expenditures, profitable ventures, and the tourism satellite account, an internationally recognised accounting tool for measuring tourism's direct contributions to the national economy. – TradeArabia News Service