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BAHRAINI families are changing the habits of a lifetime and taking short-break holidays in the kingdom in a bid to revitalise, re-energise and recover from the angst of unrest which paralysed the country earlier this year.
Until recently only a tiny percentage of locals regularly booked into the island’s five star hotels which, in any case, were mostly crammed full of foreign tourists and business executives and weekend visitors from neighbouring Gulf states.
The hospitality sector was rocked more than any other industry by the troubles of February and March, particularly with the cancellation of numerous trade and industry fairs plus the annual Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, and needed to look for new markets.
It appears to have found one closer to home than analysts would ever have imagined.
The new Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, for example, in recent months has been proactively encouraging local families and businesses to try out its facilities with special deals and has witnessed a remarkable response.
Pioneering Bahraini Mohammed Atif Hassan, assistant director of sales & distribution, has been one of the motivating forces behind the change. “People in Bahrain have been under mental stress for a long time – since February.
“Many families kept themselves at home and the TV news channels never had any positive news about Bahrain, or the entire Middle East for that matter.
“People were depressed and living in fear. But once they felt safe, they left home and as things became safer they started shopping and living normally. Sofitel has helped Bahrainis to escape, relax and rebuild their spirits.”
The resort cleverly marketed itself locally offering accommodation at BD76 inclusive of tax, breakfast, internet, recreation access and complimentary coffee and tea making facilities in a room for two people, instead of the standard rate of BD145 per room, per night.
Mohammed said: “Occupancy doubled on weekdays and we were almost 100 per cent occupied during weekends.”
It’s a remarkable turnaround, as the 38-year-old hospitality executive revealed that industry data suggested on average Bahrainis staying in the kingdom’s 5-star hotels represented about 0.15 per cent of all guests – 99.85 per cent were non-Bahrainis.
Bahrain University graduate Mohammed, who has worked for the Le Royal Méridien, the US Navy as an inter-cultural relationship specialist as well as gaining eight years sales and managerial experience at the Gulf Hotel, was determined to play his part in boosting business and has encouraged local businesses and banks to look at short-break holidays as a new way of team building, motivating and thanking staff.
Already a number of major companies have bitten and this has created even greater awareness.
Mohammed explained: “The first Bahrainis that stayed were booked by one leading bank, they were soon spreading the news about how much they were enjoying the experience and sending Blackberry messages to their friends and colleagues.
“My friends kept telling me that they were receiving messages telling them ‘we are at Sofitel ... it’s great, nice food, pool is brilliant’ alongside many pictures.”
The power of ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations coincided with another result of the disquiet across the Arab world, natural disasters in Asia and the inhospitable feeling many locals experience travelling to Europe and the US as a result of heightened terrorist concerns.
According to Mohammed the most popular summer tourist destinations for Bahrainis in normal times are Egypt, Syria, Morocco and Lebanon.
He said: “Currently people are afraid to travel to Egypt, Syria and Morocco and are prohibited to travel to Lebanon. Europe and America make the next highest travelling destinations, but people are worried about how they might be treated.
“As for the Far East, people are afraid because of the tsunami threat and in addition, families are not comfortable because of the seedier side of life sometimes on show.”
The new short break clientele will be encouraged to continue enjoying the experience so common in Europe, which will be good news for the Sofitel with its beach activities and the forthcoming opening of its new Thalassa sea & spa facility, as well as existing five-star hotels and the many planning to open in the kingdom.
Mohammed’s message is simple: “Get out with your family often, go to a place that you feel is nice to your children as well as you, socialise, interact, joke and have fun close to home!”
