Bahrain is looking to boost tourist traffic from India to over 50 per cent this year and introduce a direct flight from Kolkata, an official of the Gulf nation said on Wednesday.
The "exotic land" also seeks to host tourists from West Bengal during the Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the state, Country Manager of Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority Sunil Mathapati said at a road show here.
"We have witnessed a growth of 43 per cent in tourist arrivals from India in 2018 and we are aiming to increase it by 50-56 per cent by this year end," Mathapati said.
While the travel time between Kolkata and Bahrain is now six hours, with two airlines having stop-overs, efforts are on to cut down the travel time, the tourism official from Bahrain said.
"We have proposed a direct flight from here by Gulf Air which will reduce the air time to four hours and improve connectivity," Mathapati said.
The promotional programmes in Kolkata will start just before the Durga Puja and "we are aiming at high-end Bengali travellers", he said.
Asked if it would not be too late to hardsell Bahrain to Bengalis planning vacations during the Durga Puja festival this year, Mathapati said, "I think people are still open for a new place, to try new destinations even at this hour."
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