The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) officially revealed the new identity and logo in light of Manama being selected as the “Capital of Arab Tourism” for 2020 during New Year’s Eve celebratory event organised by the BTEA.

The selection of Manama as the “Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020” was announced during the 22nd session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, which was held at Al Ahsa in Saudi Arabia.

The new Manama logo includes intertwined triangles that combine the prominent elements and iconic landmarks carefully chosen to signify the various elements that embody Bahrain, this includes the kingdom’s flag, a sail symbolising the country's ancient maritime history, and the Bahrain World Trade Centre (WTC), representing its modern day presence and prosperous future.

The colours were similarly chosen to reflect the themes, with the colour red representing the kingdom, the colour yellow symbolizing the sand, and the colour blue representing the WTC.

BTEA said it will soon be launching a calendar of events and annual festivals with a renewed theme, which will be hosted throughout the year in line with Manama being named as the “Capital of Arab Tourism” for 2020.

It aims to attract a larger number of visitors from inside and outside the kingdom through the diverse offerings that appeal to audiences of different ages and interests.

Commenting on the occasion, CEO Nader Al Moayyed said: "We are delighted to have launched the new identity and logo of Manama Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020 during this joyous occasion."

"The Arab markets have immense potential for further growth and development and in the upcoming period, BTEA will dedicate its efforts to put an integrated calendar under the umbrella of this title as we aim to attract tourists from neighbouring countries thereby further developing the tourism sector and increasing its contribution to the national economy," he added.

BTEA will continue to develop unique tourism projects in line with its long-term strategy that focuses on four pillars - awareness, attraction, access and accommodation; this includes improving the overall accessibility of Bahrain besides attracting exhibitions and conferences in larger numbers, enhancing the quality of services in the tourism and hospitality sectors, and finally strengthening the position of the kingdom as an ideal tourist destination for international tourists, with a special focus on families.

"We aim to strengthen and develop intra-tourism between the Arab and international countries and its people through promoting the uniqueness of Bahrain with both its rich historical offerings and modern city life," noted Al Moayyed.

"We also strive to increase tourism numbers and expect to attract 12.2 million visitors in 2020, an equivalent increase of 5 per cent," he stated.

"In addition, we seek to increase the total number of nights spent by tourists by 15.8 million nights, an equivalent increase of 15% compared to 2019, as well as increase the average length of stay to 3.5 nights per tourist, an equivalent increase of 3% compared to 2019," he added.-TradeArabia News Service