SL Ambassador woos more Bahrain tourists

The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr A Saj U. Mendis, met with Bahrain Tourism Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Shaikh Khaled Bin Humood Al-Khalifa to broach and to strategise the enhancement of tourism, particularly from Bahrain to Sri Lanka. 

The Office of Chief of the Bahrain Tourism Authority is equivalent to that of a Minister in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The highly constructive, focused and result-oriented meeting between Ambassador Dr Mendis and CEO Shaikh Al-Khalifa lasted nearly an hour at the Corporate Head Office of the Tourism and Exhibitions Authority in Manama.

The CEO Shaikh Al-Khalifa stated that Sri Lanka is well positioned and well poised to attract tourists and visitors not only from the Kingdom of Bahrain but from the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA), given the myriad of touristic attractions and endowments in the country. He further added that peace, stability and security in Sri Lanka would also be telling and influential contributing factors for visitors and tourists from Bahrain to consider visiting Sri Lanka. Ambassador Dr Mendis added that the tourism from Bahrain to Sri Lanka has enormous potential and promise but unfortunately, it is not yet been fully utilised and fully exploited. He also added that each week there are six direct flights between Colombo and Manama, thus facilitating tourists and visitors from Bahrain to visit Sri Lanka with great ease.

Both the CEO and the Ambassador alluded to the contents of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation signed in July of 2009 between the two countries during the historic visit of His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Sri Lanka. 

The CEO of the Tourism Authority suggested having a “Road Show” in Bahrain consisting of travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers and government and corporate sector officials in the sphere of tourism of Sri Lanka. This would extend a sense of awareness and create a positive illustration and profile of Sri Lanka amongst the potential visitors and tourists of Bahrain. 

Both the CEO and Ambassador affirmed the critical role played by tourism not only in Sri Lanka and in Bahrain but in the entire world since one out of every twelve persons is employed either directly or indirectly in the province of hospitality and tourism. 

Further, Ambassador Dr Mendis punctuated that tourism is amongst the five largest foreign exchange earners in the country and the Government focuses a great degree of significance and vitality to promote tourism, in all aspects. 

The CEO of Tourism Authority of Bahrain also discussed the possibilities of investments in infrastructure development in hospitality and tourism sector in Sri Lanka. For record, the said Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2009 does state proactive collaboration of investment in tourism sector, in both the countries. The CEO enunciated that given the volatile and febrile global landscape in the world, Sri Lanka is well positioned to receive and to attract tourists and visitors not only from Bahrain but from the entire world, given the permanent peace, stability and harmony apart from touristic attractions and appeal.