Tag Archives: Dr. Ali Follad

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) participated in the 20th Saudi International Wedding Fair 2020, held from March 5-7, 2020 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is considered the ideal one-stop wedding event for couture, fashion and jewellery. The Bahraini pavilion, covered an area of 25 m2, included exhibitors from hotels including Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, Al Areen Palace & Spa Bahrain in addition to the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Gulf Air. The 20th Saudi Wedding Fair 2020 was the largest bridal event in the industry across KSA and the GCC, provided participants with the opportunity to showcase their latest products and services in the wedding sector. The event provided an ideal platform for participants and visitors alike to meet and connect with renowned international companies, as well as network with VIPs. On this occasion, Dr. Ali Follad, Acting Director of Marketing and Tourism Promotion Directorate at BTEA, said, “We look forward to showcasing what the tourism industry has to offer those who want to host and celebrate their special occasions in Bahrain. Our participation comes in line with our efforts to participate in regional and international events as we strive to strengthen Bahrain’s position as a leading tourism destination in the region and further develop the local tourism sector.”

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) roadshow was held from December 1-7, 2019 at Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The delegation was headed by various BTEA officials and includes representatives from the Gulf Air, alongside a number of hotels including Al Bandar Hotel & Resort, Sofitel Zallaq Bahrain Thalassa Sea & Spa, Gulf Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Rotana Hotels and Novotel Al Dana Resort. The delegation also included representatives from five tourism agencies and destination management companies including Best of Bahrain, Visit Bahrain, Go Bahrain, Mathias Tours and Gosaibi Travels. The roadshow aims to promote Bahrain as a tourist destination to the Russian market and will also portray the Kingdom as an ideal destination for weddings. During the roadshow, the delegation will be meeting with wedding planners, representatives from travel agencies and the media. On this occasion, Dr. Ali Follad, Acting Director of Marketing and Tourism Promotion Directorate at BTEA, commented, “We are working closely with our representative office in Russia to highlight the Kingdom’s position as an attractive location with distinct offerings. During this roadshow, we will be promoting the Kingdom of Bahrain as the ideal destination for tourism by showcasing its unique elements to visitors. We will also be promoting the Kingdom as an ideal destination for hosting weddings and celebrations due to its promising infrastructure and the wide range of wedding services and amenities available. Through this roadshow, we aim to attract investment and increase the number of visitors coming to the Kingdom, further developing the tourism sector and increasing its contribution to the national economy.” Hosting the roadshow comes in line with the BTEA’s strategic outreach programme to promote the tourism brand ‘Ours Yours’ aimed …

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) organised a familiarisation trip for a delegation of nine women from renowned Saudi travel agencies and tour operators. Hosting the trip comes in line with BTEA’s efforts to showcase the Kingdom’s tourism facilities and attractions, as well as introduce visitors to its rich history with an aim to further develop the tourism sector and increase its contribution to the national economy. The familiarisation trip, held from October 3-5, 2019, was organised in collaboration with BTEA’s representative office in KSA. During the trip, the delegation met with local representatives from the tourism industry and were taken on several sightseeing tours in Bahrain. “KSA is considered one of the largest tourism markets across the region and visitors from KSA comprise a huge portion of tourists in Bahrain, holding 88 per cent of the market share. Since the start of this year, BTEA’s collaboration with Saudi travel agencies through its KSA representative office has resulted in attracting approximately 31,500 visitors in Q1 of 2019, a growth of 31 per cent, and BHD 11.9 million in total spending. In the first half of 2019, the total number of Saudi visitors amounted to 5.3 million, including business and project owners which contributes to supporting the local GDP,” said Dr. Ali Follad, Tourism Advisor at BTEA. Organising the familiarisation trip comes in line with the BTEA’s strategy to promote and develop the country’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards Bahrain’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) continues to adopt initiatives with an aim to attract more tourists to the Kingdom of Bahrain and increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy. In light of this, BTEA welcomed passengers who arrived on the first charter flight of the new season from Moscow on October 7, 2019. The first flight commissioned by Coral Travel within the charter programme from Moscow to Bahrain took place in October 2018 with two flights scheduled per week. This will be increased to three weekly flights until May 2020, carrying 220 passengers that will be staying in 30 different hotels across Bahrain. “The BTEA has strengthened its presence, bilaterial relations and partnerships with travel and tourism organisations, tour operators, travel agents and airlines across the world through its representative offices located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), India, France, Germany, Russia, Kuwait and the United Kingdom. We will continue to work closely with all our representative offices to bring in tourist groups from around the world, further developing the tourism sector and increasing the contribution of non-oil based sectors of the national economy,” said Dr. Ali Follad, Tourism Advisor at BTEA. Receiving charter flights comes as part of the BTEA’s long term strategy to bring in large tourist groups, further developing the Kingdom’s tourism sector on a regional and international level under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

In line with its efforts to further strengthen the Kingdom’s position as an ideal destination for weddings and celebrations, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) organised a familiarisation trip for 10 Indian wedding planning agencies, from September 21-24. The delegation included companies and agencies from several Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Surat and Jaipur, targeting locations with High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) and distinguished families. On September 22 and 23, BTEA arranged for meetings between Indian wedding planners and a number of Bahraini vendors and organisations, which included leading 5 and 4-star hotels, Bahraini wedding planners and organisers, travel and tourism service providers, destination management companies and other accommodation venues. A representative from BTEA’s office in India also attended the meetings along with the delegation. In addition, a tour of the Kingdom was also organised for the Indian delegation which featured a visit to some of Bahrain’s tourist attractions such as Go Karting, the Hindu Temple in Manama and Bahrain International Circuit. “Through organising regular meetings with Indian wedding planners and agencies, we aim to increase the number of wedding ceremonies being held in the Kingdom, further positioning Bahrain as an ideal destination for weddings and celebrations,” said Dr. Ali Follad, Tourism Advisor at BTEA.