One of Bahrain's tourism sector pioneers yesterday said more must be done to bring foreign visitors back to Bahrain.

Jamil Wafa, founder and executive chairman, Unitag Group, told the GDN that efforts were still needed to repair the damage done to Bahrain's image by the foreign media, which has been accused of grossly misrepresenting events here since February.

"Whether it is the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) or the Culture Ministry, they have to be more proactive in letting the world know that Bahrain is as welcoming as ever," Wafa told the GDN.

"The Western media has played havoc with Bahrain over the last few months and that has meant we have taken a beating as far as tourist arrivals are concerned,” he said. "The sector was almost zero, but is now somewhat picking up. The retail sector, too, took a hit and businesses were greatly hit."

Wafa said the IAA should play a role in at least making the local media aware of what was going on.

"We have a situation when, in their desperation to get news, the media sometimes reports things that are not true," he said. "Bahrain has a good media and should be made aware of what is going on officially."

He added that he believed visitors would flock back to Bahrain once their safety and security was guaranteed.

"It is a fact that politics and economics go hand in hand," he said.

"We have to work to set the politics right and once that happens, the economy will come back. We have to work towards that together," Wafa concluded. – TradeArabia News Service