MANAMA: The Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2008), opening on Wednesday evening, is a sell out, it was announced yesterday. About 120 exhibitors from 44 countries are taking part in the exhibition, which will be held under the patronage of Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Economic Development Board chairman Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, from Wednesday until Saturday.
The Crown Prince will inaugurate the expo at 5pm on Wednesday at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
Jamil Wafa, group chairman of Magnum Holdings, the parent company of Magnum Events and Exhibitions Management (Meem), the organisers of BITE, attributed the success of the event over the past four years to the patronage and support of the Crown Prince.
"When we first launched BITE four years ago, we started with 1,000 sq/m of space and 12,500 visitors," he told a Press conference at the InterContinental Regency Hotel yesterday.
"This year, it has grown to 8,000 sq/m and we are expecting approximately 20,000 visitors."
This year's exhibition has been scheduled from Thursday to Saturday to provide the convenience of the weekend and be more consumer-friendly, said Mr Wafa.
It will open to the consumers and visitors from 10am to 12.30pm, and from 4pm to 8pm on Thursday, from 4pm to 10pm on Friday and from 10am to 6pm on Saturday.
The Press conference was also addressed by Information Ministry's Tourism Marketing and Promotion Project chief executive Mohammed Nass, Al Hilal Group managing director Ronnie Middleton, Gulf Air vice-president for sales and marketing Danny Barranger, Meem chairman Hisham Al Baradie and executive director Abraham John.
Mr Wafa revealed that Bahrain's Labour Fund is participating for the first time in BITE.
They will be organising a seminar to highlight the role of the Labour Fund in supporting the private sector and the tourism industry in particular, by providing the skilled human capital for added value jobs and career opportunities.
The seminar will be held on Saturday, from 12.30 pm to 2.30pm.
The Labour Fund will also have a booth dedicated to explain the current developments of Bahrain's national workforce and to display the programmes that they could benefit from both the human capital development and the private sector support initiatives.
"BITE is the first business-to-consumer travel and tourism event in the region," said Mr Wafa.
He also announced the countries participating for the first time in BITE 2008 namely: UAE, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Oman, Spain, Sweden and Tunisia.
Bahrain Training Institute (BTI), which has recently received a licence from the International Air Transport Association, allowing it to operate as an Authorised Training Centre, is also participating in BITE for the first time. The BTI will be launching their newly-established Travel Academy at the exhibition.
A "Hosted Buyers Programme" will run alongside the exhibition, which supports structured networking sessions between the local tourism professionals and the international Mice (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) specialists.
"Our motto at BITE is still 'Bringing the World to Bahrain'," reiterated Mr Wafa.
A total of 120 exhibitors, 110 Hosted Buyers and international media from 44 countries will be participating at BITE 2008.
The exhibition encompasses a wide variety of sectors ranging from airlines to car-rental companies, conventions and exhibitions, cruise lines, health resorts and spas, hotel accommodation providers, Mice organisers, tourist attractions, tourism boards, tourism TV channels, tour operators, travel insurance as well as travel and tourism publications.
Mr Nass said the tourism affairs would support the event to make BITE a success story year after year.
The platinum sponsors for BITE 2008 are the EDB along with the Information Ministry - Tourism Affairs, Gulf Air has once again come onboard as the official carrier and Qatar Airways are the Gold Sponsor.
Mr Middleton said his media group would promote BITE regionally and internationally through its various publications.
The expo is actively supported by the Bahrain Five Star Hotels Owners Executive Committee, Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority & the Central Governorate; Elite Hospitality is the official Hotel, Atlas Travel and Culture Channel are the official TV channel; Al Hilal Group and Akhbar Al Khaleej are the media partners; Zain the communications partner and the transportation partner are Bahrain Limo.
Mr Barranger said the national carrier would encourage people from different countries to visit BITE through special offers.
soman@gdn.com.bh
