Bahrain’s F&B market is still suffering the impact of the political uprising in 2011 which saw hotel occupancy fall by 22% according to HVS’ 2012 Middle East Hotel Survey report.
In an exclusive interview with Caterer Middle East, Nicolas Budzynski, general manager, Bushido Bahrain, said the detrimental effect last year’s uprising had on tourism meant business is still slow for F&B operators in the country.
“The hotel occupancy around Bahrain is still not as high as it was before. The media coverage on the country, which was not always accurate, did not help,” he said.
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Maki Bahrain, which saw footfall drop by 30% during the first few months of unrest, was forced to cut operational costs.
Joe Hajjali, group business development manager, says the F&B industry has a long way to go to recovery: “During the uprising Maki Bahrain had to shut down for 15 days, then we had to close on many other days on a random basis, depending on political unrest and security threat. For Maki – and I believe the whole market – things are not back to 100%.”
While the uprising forced the permanent closure of many outlets, others have adapted their offering to drive in custom. Many have had to accept that for the time being, revenue will continue to come from the local market. Bushido is currently serving 85% of locals, residents and Saudis compared with 15% tourists.
“We all hope there is further development in Bahrain,” said Budzynski.
For a full interview with Bushido’s Budzynski, turn to page 48.
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