Bahrain to turn prime wedding destination

Manama : Bahrain is all set to become a “prime wedding destination,” as part of the long-term tourism strategy put forth by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.

It was revealed when the Authority launched its 2016-2017 action plan yesterday to highlight the Kingdom’s overall tourism offering. 

Various stakeholders representing the vibrant industry including wedding planners, fashion designers and florists attended the press conference. 

The two-year plan focuses on promoting the Kingdom as an attractive wedding destination by developing the sector and promoting the local talents in various fields such as fashion, music and make-up.

“The tourism sector in the Kingdom boasts a wide range of offerings and benefits and our plans to focus on the wedding sector is a part of the diverse portfolio that Bahrain can offer its visitors,” said Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority Chief Executive Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa.

“We will be promoting the plan through various channels including social media, the tourism website and across the MBC channels,” he added.

During the press conference, the Advisor to the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Dr Ali Hassan Follad, stressed that the wedding sector in the Bahrain impacts a number of businesses from the hotel and hospitality industry, fashion, beauty, rental cars, aviation and much more.

“The authority will be focusing its efforts on elevating the sector through various methods, including hosting a workshop in September to develop the skills of wedding planners in Bahrain with the support of an international accredited company. We will also be inviting wedding management companies from India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bahrain in order to further understand the capabilities of the Kingdom,” he said.

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority will also be taking part in the annual Jewelry Arabia exhibition through a large stand in order to promote Bahrain as a wedding destination. The stand will include top fashion designers from Bahrain and the region. Also, the authority will host a fashion wedding focusing on wedding clothes from all across the globe during the event.

The authority will also take part in the Wedding Fair, the largest event of its kind, held next year in Thailand in order to further promote Bahrain as a wedding destination. The plan will focus on promoting wedding venues such as the desert, on an island, beach and at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).