Manama, The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) announced the successful conclusion of the first edition of the Bahrain Summer Toy Festival 2024 at the Exhibitions World Bahrain, where it attracted more than 97,000 visitors from the Kingdom and abroad. Dana Osama Al Saad, Deputy CEO for Resources and Projects at the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), announced the successful conclusion of the Bahrain Summer Toy Festival in its first edition. She commended the cooperative efforts of the relevant government authorities and private sector institutions, emphasising the positive impact of these collaborations on the event. Al Saad expressed her appreciation to Al Dana Amphitheatre, Spacetoon, Exhibition World Bahrain, and the National Bank of Bahrain for their joint and constructive efforts, which resulted in an exceptional summer entertainment festival. She emphasised that the event has significantly bolstered tourism across the Kingdom and strengthened the hospitality sector. She a lso expressed her aspiration to make the festival an annual event in cooperation with all partners, in line with the plans to develop the tourism sector and achieve the goals of the Tourism Strategy 2022-2026. The Bahrain Summer Toy Festival contributed to boosting the tourism movement in the 2024 summer season, resulting in a significant increase in the occupancy rates of hotels and hospitality establishments. It also increased tourism and commercial activity in Zallaq and Sakhir areas, enhancing the occupancy levels and commercial activity of resorts, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and various shops located in the vicinity. The event had a significant impact on supporting the participating establishments due to the high public turnout, which reflects the Authority's commitment to promoting and supporting national businesses during all occasions and events it organises by BTEA, particularly those related to the field of tourism and hospitality. Visitors, particularly citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and residents expressed their positive reception of the festival. In its inaugural edition, the festival demonstrated a strong commitment to social responsibility by welcoming children from various charitable organisations and national initiatives. These included the Royal Fund for Fallen Servicemen, the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled, Al Sanabel Orphan Care Society, and the Bahrain Down Syndrome Society. Source : Bahrain News Agency