Manila (Agencies): The Philippines is enhancing its collaboration with Bahrain to boost tourism and hospitality links, as Bahraini authorities prepare to open an embassy in Manila, signaling deepening bilateral ties.
Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, following her visit to Manama earlier this month, revealed that discussions with Bahraini Tourism Minister Fatima Al-Sairafi centered on expanding tourism flows and leveraging the Philippines’ world-renowned hospitality expertise.
“They’re very interested in learning from our brand of service excellence and collaborating on opportunities for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions,” Frasco said.
While Bahrain is home to approximately 57,000 Filipinos working across various sectors, its tourism relationship with the Philippines has remained underexplored. Destinations like Cebu and Palawan are particularly popular among Bahraini tourists, with over 5,500 visitors from Bahrain recorded between January and October 2024—a 16% increase compared to the previous year.
Efforts are underway to enhance connectivity between Bahrain and Philippine cities beyond Manila, aiming to attract more Bahraini travelers. The Philippines also seeks to improve its appeal to Muslim tourists by growing its halal and Muslim-friendly establishments.
The Philippines has been actively engaging with Middle Eastern countries to capitalize on their strong post-pandemic recovery in travel and tourism. Frasco emphasized the importance of strategic collaborations to sustain this momentum, focusing on making Philippine destinations more accessible and welcoming to tourists from the region.
With the Bahraini embassy set to open in Manila and ongoing efforts to foster tourism and cultural exchanges, the partnership promises to strengthen ties between the two nations while opening new opportunities in the travel and hospitality sectors.