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Despite current public health concerns, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has had a highly successful Indian destination wedding season in 2019.
The BTEA was involved in organising 13 weddings in the latter half of 2019, attracting 5,000 people from across the world.
With their eyes set on exclusive weddings, engagements, anniversaries, honeymoons, birthdays and more, the BTEA events and weddings team, led by Dr Ali Follad, has been working to position the country as an elite wedding destination. They have been doing so by bringing some of the largest stakeholders on the island together to conduct Indian and regional elite weddings, making each experience a unique one for families and their guests.
Dr Ali told GulfWeekly: “The major weddings we hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain were held at some of Bahrain’s luxury five-star hotels. The Kingdom of Bahrain boasts a sophisticated tourist sector, comprising four-star and five-star hotels catering to all tastes, offering a variety of upscale amenities in food, beverages and entertainment; and a vibrant tourism sector specialised in organising wedding ceremonies and presenting unique wedding concept.
“Some of the unique wedding concepts included the arrival of the bride and groom in a traditional environment and means of transportation where the groom arrived on a purebred Arabian horse or camel accompanied by traditional music and dancers while the bride arrived on a yacht or dhow.”
Last year, the BTEA events team’s efforts resulted in a direct economic return of more than BD8 million.
BTEA’s efforts also won the kingdom the “Best Destination for Indian Weddings” award at the WOW Awards Asia 2019, a three-day event honouring the top providers of customer service, based purely on customer feedback.
With a growing global team, Bahrain has become a favoured destination for Indian and Saudi weddings especially, owing to its historical close ties to the two countries. With a growing tourism and hospitality sector, this looks set to be a significant part of the country’s economic future as well as a backdrop to some of the most vaulted weddings of Indian high society.
Dr Ali added: “To further enhance the experience of visitors that have selected the kingdom as their destination to celebrate special occasions such as weddings with their loved ones, we ensure that they are provided with the opportunity to visit the best we have to offer. This includes some of the kingdom’s most popular attractions along with the various entertainment activities it has to offer in order to create an unforgettable experience.
“BTEA makes the necessary arrangements for those interested in racing by collaborating with the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) which has a premier karting track recognised as the first in the entire world to host a world championship-level race at night. Bahrain boasts a range of adrenaline-infused recreational activities families can enjoy during their stay including Bahrain’s largest waterpark, The Lost Paradise of Dilmun and the Land Rover Experience which offers a thrilling off-road experience.
“BTEA also offer visitors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with Bahrain’s rich culture and long-standing history of craft. For instance, we host a number of events, in collaboration with Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre, such as recreating a traditional market that reflects Bahrain’s identity, featuring numerous local craftsmen including traditional chest makers, calligraphers, pottery makers, henna designers, and gypsum makers to name a few.”
It also gives ancillary and traditional businesses an opportunity to showcase their products to an international audience.
Dr. Ali noted: “The families work with local businesses including wedding planners, decorators, transportation companies, florists and caterers to host a memorable wedding ceremony. They also reached out to foreign businesses such as entertainment providers, musical artists and photographers, where BTEA supported them by facilitating the entry of the equipment to the kingdom.”
The authority set up, www.bahrainislandwedding.com to give families a roadmap of different entities in the wedding sector to ensure that their needs are met. In addition, the team works individually with some families to ensure a smooth and successful wedding experience.
One of the families which conducted their wedding in the kingdom in December said: “We are delighted to have worked with the team at BTEA who were able to put us in contact with relevant parties including Gulf Air, Bahraini wedding planners and event management companies to ensure the smooth flow of events during our wedding celebration in Bahrain.
“Plus, BTEA handled the event logistics including visas, immigration, and customs and obtaining permission to facilitate the entry of different event components such as jewellery, decorative items, gifts, drones and fireworks.
“Our family also had a great experience at the go-karting track at the BIC who were happy to accommodate our needs and schedule and were genuinely delighted to be hosting this fun-filled activity for family members who flew in to the kingdom to attend the wedding ceremony.”
