“BTEA is promoting Bahrain as a unique destination for weddings and other occasions from Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, attracting their citizens and expatriates alike. These additional efforts are in line with its plans to develop wedding tourism in Bahrain through the “Island Wedding” initiative, which includes a variety of offers that appeal to families and tourists from all over the world.
Bahrain’s role in providing plenty of surreal landscapes and exceptional venues with an internationally highly ranked tourism institute, islands, beaches, the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), and heritage-based locations to host such exotic weddings, makes Bahrain a favourable place for organising with prominent, well-known hotel chains that suit all wedding parties and pre-wedding occasions, in addition to the availability of Bahraini wedding specialists.
BTEA Advisor Dr Ali Hasan Follad pointed out that the authority managed in such a short time to turn the idea of promoting Bahrain as a leading tourist destination for weddings and social occasions into a tremendous trademark in this regard on the regional map by targeting international and GCC markets.
“These efforts are part of BTEA endeavours to provide the necessary support to easily organize weddings in the Kingdom, as well as playing a pivotal role in planning and collaborating with the interested parties, working collectively to organize the logistics services, selected locations, and connecting suppliers and specialists,” he said.
Dr. Ali Hassan Follad, Advisor – Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions mentions, “We have come up with a roadmap and started connecting with the stakeholders. We have also started to work on our website and several such developments.” The Kingdom has witnessed two weddings in 2017, 10 weddings in 2018, 13 weddings in 2019, two weddings in 2020, six weddings in 2021, and 21 weddings in 2022.
Follad sees positive growth for this segment, where arriving numbers recorded from 300, 500, 1000, to 1500, in the past years, and in addition, hosting the Ambanis also contributed significantly. “For any project, we go step by step.
Currently, Bahrain offers 25+ wedding venues, comprising both big and small. Indians mostly love properties that have access to the beaches, and some a dedicated portion also like to have weddings at the city properties. Bahrain aims at catering to all segments, giving them a diverse set of options.
Talking about the ease of doing weddings in Bahrain, Follad mentions “Regarding connectivity, we have 8 cities in India from where we have direct flights. We have Gulf Air, our national carrier, through which we can offer two options, either by scheduling flights or charter flights. “
With regards to closely working with the wedding planners and trade arena, Bahrain is planning to host FAM tours in 2024.
5 Reasons Why You Should Get Married in Bahrain
Linking east and west, Bahrain – which means “Two Seas” in Arabic – is set among several islands in the Gulf. With surreal landscapes and exceptional venues, Bahrain can elevate the wedding to a completely new level. Here are 5 reasons why you should pick Bahrain as your wedding destination:
1.) The venues are stunning! Bahrain offers a wide range of stunning wedding venues, from luxurious hotels with exceptional services to historic landmarks and picturesque beaches. These venues provide a romantic and unforgettable setting for a wedding ceremony and reception.
2.) You can reach Bahrain easily with direct 4-5 hour flights from Mumbai & Delhi Bahrain is a small island nation located in the Persian Gulf, making it easily accessible from many parts of the world.
3.) Bahrain has a warm climate throughout the year, which makes it an ideal destination for couples who want to have an outdoor wedding. The country has several beautiful gardens, beaches, and outdoor venues that provide a stunning backdrop for a wedding ceremony.
4.) The BTEA has launched a dedicated website, bahrainislandwedding.com, to promote the country as a wedding destination and further provide information to interested families about packages. You can find everything here from venues to decor.
5.) The kingdom of Bahrain hosted more than 54 weddings between 2017 and 2022 attracting around 20,000 guests from all around the world with an average of 370 people attending each wedding. There were two weddings in 2017, ten in 2018, thirteen in 2019, two in 2020, six in 2021, and twenty-one weddings just last year. These weddings contributed millions of dinars directly to the national economy despite COVID-19 putting the brakes on 10 planned nuptials during the pandemic period.
