Manama, Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi, the Minister of Tourism, emphasised the importance of the deep-rooted historical Bahraini-Chinese ties and cooperation in various domains, including the economic and tourism sectors. Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, launched direct flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai, coinciding with the state visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the President of the current session of the Arab Summit, to the People's Republic of China and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Al Sairafi said the Chinese market is a key target market in Bahrain's Tourism Strategy 2022-2026, highlighting the significant tourism opportunities it presents for the Kingdom and the region. She underscored the ongoing efforts to collaborate with the private sector in developing tourism packages tailored to Chinese tourists. The Ministry of Tourism and Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) are studying Chinese tourists' interests and culture to create tourism experiences that will attract more Chinese visitors to Bahrain. She added that BTEA recently signed a partnership with tourism offices in China to promote the Kingdom in the Chinese market. Additionally, the BTEA organised a workshop for over 100 travel agencies, destination managers, and hotel establishments to learn about the Chinese market and the needs of Chinese tourists. Source: Bahrain News Agency