The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the arrival of the first two cruise ships into the Kingdom on the 3rd of January 2018, where more than 5,600 visitors were aboard the MSC and AIDA cruise lines.
Additionally, a tour around the Kingdom was also organized where more than 4,000 visitors had the chance to visit some of Bahrain’s tourist attractions and learn about its civilization, historical sites and old markets.
“We are happy to welcome the first two cruise ships for 2018 and are committed to providing all the facilities necessary to ensure their safe arrival into the Kingdom. We look forward to receiving more cruise ships over the next few months. This comes as part of the BTEA’s focus to revitalize the tourism sector which will further contribute towards the national economy,” said the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, H.E. Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa.
“During the current cruise season which runs between November and May, Bahrain is expected to receive 33 cruise vessel calls and almost 80,000 visitors from prestigious cruise lines including the world-renowned Crystal Cruises,” he added.
Furthermore, Aida-Stella, Azamara Club Cruises and TUI Cruises arrived in Bahrain carrying over 15,000 passengers. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is also expected to dock in Bahrain towards the end of the season.
Hosting the cruise ships comes as part of the BTEA’s long term strategy to further develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.