Bahrain is set to host a key international conference that will turn the spotlight on local tourism infrastructure projects, empowering women and youth in the sector and marketing of destinations in the future with artificial intelligence (AI) elements.
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Middle East Summit 2025 will be held on September 1 at Exhibition World Bahrain, and is expected to be attended by senior leaders and decision-makers from exhibition and convention centres alongside hospitality heavyweights.
The two-day event will feature various sessions aiming to promote effective regional and international collaborations in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry.
AI would feature in different plenary sessions backed with smart tourism advanced technologies.
According to the conference agenda, the opening ceremony will kick off with a welcome note delivered by ICCA chief executive Senthil Gopinath and Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) chief executive Sara Buhiji.
“Bahrain stands as a beacon of resilience and innovation in the global meetings industry,” said Mr Gopinath.
“This forum marks a pivotal step in shaping the future of tourism and business events in the Middle East. Together, we continue to drive inclusive growth, foster collaboration and create a smarter, more sustainable industry for the generations to come.”
Mr Gopinath will be joined by Ms Buhiji in a fireside chat entitled ‘Bahrain’s Tourism Vision and Global Meeting Perspective’ which is expected cover sustainable tourism innovations and insights into Bahrain’s journey to becoming a regional tourism leader and a catalyst for global partnerships by 2030.
“We are proud to host this prestigious forum, which supports our broader vision of positioning Bahrain as a vibrant hub for global business events,” said Ms Buhiji.
“We invite all delegates to discover everything our state-of-the-art venue and exceptional destination have to offer.”
The second session is entitled ‘Marketing of destinations in the future with AI elements for destinations to be ready for future business’ and will feature internationally recognised tourism keynote speaker and trainer Dolores Semeraro.
Panellists will explore the evolving role of destination management and leadership in the Middle East in the second plenary session, ‘The Future of Destination Leadership: Unlocking Regional Potential through Innovation, Inclusivity and Sustainability’.
This session will feature senior experts from conventional centres in Gulf countries.
There will be two panels which will explore how AI tools can enhance the promotion of destinations by analysing trends and consumer preference, and AI vs human-led thinking.
A case study using Oman will be discussed where AI is used to generate itinerary for a Fam trip, locally adapted experience and event planning.
There will be a closing ceremony featuring Tourism Minister Fatima Al Sairafi, during which industry leaders will be honoured.
Bahrain’s 2022-2026 tourism strategy aims to increase tourism’s contribution to GDP (gross domestic product), position the kingdom as a global tourism hub and expand the number of target markets.
According to data from Bahrain’s Open Data Portal, the average length of stay for tourists in hotels for Eid Al Adha 2024 (June 15 to 18) was 2.70 nights.
It also showed that inbound Saudi visitors alone numbered 1,163,552 while an additional 131,055 came from other GCC countries during the above period.
During the period, the average daily spend per visitor was BD69.430.
Last year, accommodation and food service activities recorded an increase of 5.9 per cent, according to the latest Bahrain Economic Report.
Strong growth across several key indicators was observed during the year, such as total inbound tourism flows reaching 14.9 million, marking a 19.9pc YoY (year-on-year) increase. This was driven by the rise in same-day visitors which increased by 19.4pc to reach 8.3m and the rise in overnight visitors which increased by 20.7pc to reach 6.6m.
The ICCA is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association and governmental-meetings industry. Founded in 1963, it specialises in the international association meetings sector, offering unrivalled data, education, communication channels, business development and networking opportunities.
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