AHRAIN'S Department of Tourism Affairs (DTA) is to head its strongest-ever delegation from the Kingdom, with more than 50 businesses, to ATM 2004.
The island expects a boom in tourist trade this year, boosted by the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, the first visit of Formula One racing to the region, at the Kingdom's new state-of-the-art racing circuit. The DTA predicts that the visitors to Bahrain will cross the five million mark this year, up from last year's 4.84 million.
Bearing out this estimate are the 205,737 travellers that used Bahrain airport and sea ports in March 2004 compared to 132,663 the previous year. Those crossing the King Fahad Causeway in both directions during the same period numbered 860,824 against 608,060 the previous year, said an official statement.
Bahrain organisations exhibiting at their own stands at ATM include Gulf Air, tour operators and travel agents KK Holidays and Sabre Travel Network along with TTN Travel & Tourism News.
Bader Nasser, head of marketing for Bahrain Tourism Affairs, said, “As well as the exhibitors who have taken stands we will be providing facilities for about 50 Bahrain travel and tourism business that will use our pavilion during the show. We will focus on promoting our joining the Formula One racing circuit which we see as a major boost for tourism in the coming years.'