European tourists boost Bahrain tourism growth

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Tourism in Bahrain picked up between November 2024 and April 2025, drawing about 40,000 visitors from Eastern Europe and an estimated $70 million in takings, according to Scribd.com.

Average stays are forecast to top three nights, with daily spend above BD73.

Air links

The rise tracks with efforts to add air links between Bahrain and European cities, easing trips in both directions.

Recent data also show more GCC travellers heading to Europe, pointing to firm demand for continental breaks.

Further growth is expected with a unified GCC tourist visa due in the fourth quarter of 2025, designed to make crossGCC and onward travel simpler.

Bahrainis continue to favour France, with Paris and the Côte d’Azur drawing shoppers and culture-seekers.

Italy keeps a steady pull through Rome, Florence and Venice. Geneva and Zurich attract those after calm and scenery.

Spain’s Madrid and Barcelona appeal for heritage and shores. Austria’s Vienna and Salzburg draw music and history fans.

Greece remains popular, especially Santorini and Crete.

History and culture

Germany’s Berlin and Munich offer weighty history and culture, while the Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam, keeps its pull through canals and museums.

On the travel side, agreements with European travel agencies to organise direct trips have made planning and movement easier, helping lift flows between Bahrain and Europe.