Manama - I-Bahrain ihlose ukwenza ezokuvakasha zibe ngenye yezindawo ezizuza kakhulu ngokuhambisana namabhange eminyakeni engamashumi amabili ezayo, kumemezele isikhulu sikahulumeni.
Umbono wezwe wezomnotho we-Economic Vision 2030 ufuna ukuthi kuthuthukiswe kakhulu umkhakha wezokuvakasha, ngokuthi kusungulwe amaphrojekthi amakhulu nengqalasizinda nezinsiza, kusho umeluleki wezokuvakasha woMnyango Wezamasiko Nolwazi, uDkt Heba Abdul Aziz.
Ubekhuluma ngesikhathi kuvulwa i-First Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, ehlelwe yinkampani yemikhumbi kanye nabahlinzeki bezokuthutha i-Seatrade futhi besekelwa umnyango.
UDkt Abdul Aziz uthe kukhulu ukuhlomula kwezomnotho kwezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi njengoba kunomthelela emikhakheni ehlukene yamabhizinisi, okuhlanganisa amachweba, izinkampani zezindiza, amahhotela, izindawo zokudlela, izitolo nabavakashi.
'Umkhumbi wabagibeli onezivakashi ezingu-2,000 wenza i-Bahrain inothe ngo-$274,165 ngechweba ngalinye,' kusho yena.
'Ngemikhumbi engaphezu kuka-70 ema e-Bahrain ngesikhathi sokuhamba ngomkhumbi kusukela ngo-Okthoba kuya kuMeyi, lokhu kuhumushele inani elikhulu.'
UDkt Abdul Aziz uthe miningi eminye imikhumbi okulindeleke ukuthi ize kuleli ngesizini ezayo yezokuvakasha ezoqala ngo-Okthoba nonyaka.
'Silindele ukuthi okungenani kube nemikhumbi eyi-100 ezayo,' kusho yena.
Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi phakathi kwamaphesenti angama-50 kanye nama-70% ezivakashi ezivakashela ngomkhumbi ezibuyela e-Bahrain ukuze ziye eholidini ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kusho uDkt Abdul Aziz.
'Ukuthuthukisa imboni yezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi kuyisimo esizuzisa wonke umuntu,' kusho yena.
U-Abdul Aziz uthe babalelwa ku-40,000 abavakashi abahamba ngomkhumbi abavakashele eBahrain ngesizini ka-2006 no-2007, kodwa isibalo senyuke safinyelela ku-57,000 ngesizini elandelayo.
'Ngesizini ka-2008 kanye neka-2009, saba nezivakashi ezingu-120,000, kanti izinombolo zafinyelela ku-150,000 ngesizini esanda kuphela.'
UNgqongqoshe wamaSiko nolwazi, uShaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, uthe iBahrain yenza intuthuko enkulu embonini yezokuvakasha futhi ithatha izinyathelo zokuheha izivakashi eziningi kuleli.
'Sinezindawo eziningi ezithakasela amasiko nezomlando futhi siyazithuthukisa,' kusho yena.
'Esikhathini esizayo esiseduze, sinohlelo lokumaketha lezi emhlabeni.'
Ungqongqoshe uthe imboni yezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi izodlala indima enkulu ekukhuthazeni ukuvakasha eBahrain.
'Sithuthukisa le mboni ngendlela enkulu futhi sesibone ukukhula okukhulu,' kusho uShaikha Mai.
Umqondisi-jikelele we-General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) u-Hassan Ali Al Majed uhole izingxoxo zethimba emcimbini omayelana nomkhakha wezokuvakasha wase-Bahrain kanye nezinselelo namathuba ahambisana nokwanda kwezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi esifundeni.
'I-GOP izibophezele ekubambeni iqhaza elibonakalayo ekuthuthukiseni izindawo zokuhamba ngesikebhe zase-Bahrain ezisezingeni lomhlaba e-Khalifa Bin Salman Port entsha, futhi sizimisele ukudlala indima yethu ekubekeni isifunda njengendawo okufanele ibonwe izivakashi,' esho. .
'I-Bahrain inendawo eyingqayizivele phakathi kwamanye amazwe esifundeni futhi siyaqiniseka ukuthi ukwanda kwezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi ngokusebenzisa ichweba elisha kuzosiza ukukhuthaza amagugu acebile ase-Bahrain amasiko kanye nefa lemivubukulo.'
U-Al Majed uthe ngokusebenzisana nomakhelwane bakhe nangokudluliswa kolwazi ezinkundleni zamazwe ngamazwe, i-GOP ilindeleke ukusungula isiphakamiso esiqinile sesifunda sezintambo zokuhamba ngomkhumbi.
'Siyasithokozela isinyathelo esifike ngesikhathi senkonzo sokuletha lo mcimbi e-Bahrain futhi sizoqhubeka nokuhlinzeka ngokuseseka kwethu,' kusho yena.
'Simeme ozakwethu abambalwa abavela esifundeni sonke ukuthi babekhona ukuze sihlanganise imboni, sihlanganyele izindlela ezingcono kakhulu futhi siphakamise izinga kubo bonke abathintekayo embonini yezokuvakasha.'
Izinkampani ezihamba phambili emhlabeni jikelele ezimele i-cruise-liner ezimele kulesi sithangami, esiphothulwa namuhla, kubalwa iCarnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea, TUI Cruises, Royal Caribbean neSea Cloud.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- ‘The GOP is committed to playing an active role in promoting Bahrain’s world-class cruise facilities at the new Khalifa Bin Salman Port, and we are keen to play our role in positioning the region as a must-see destination for tourists,’.
- Umqondisi-jikelele we-General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) u-Hassan Ali Al Majed uhole izingxoxo zethimba emcimbini omayelana nomkhakha wezokuvakasha wase-Bahrain kanye nezinselelo namathuba ahambisana nokwanda kwezokuvakasha ngomkhumbi esifundeni.
- ‘We have invited several of our counterparts from around the region to attend in order to unify the industry, share best practice and raise the bar for all involved in the cruise industry.
