English Abstract
ABSTRACT:
The Kingdom of Bahrain has strived in recent years to become a well known tourist destination in the region, strengthened by government backing at the highest level of decision making. This is further enhanced by the various natural, historical, cultural, recreational, educational and modern attractions in the country, and the famed hospitality and courtesy of the Bahraini people.
This research looks at the social, economic and environmental issues related to tourism in the country and the means of achieving sustainability in the tourism sector. This was further enhanced through a better understanding of the niche market of nature based tourism, with special emphasis on its application to the study area.
Two forms of primary data collection were undertaken through a field survey and a questionnaire survey. This resulted in formulating a better understanding on the current state of the natural and cultural attractions in the study area, with the formulation of a proposed ecotourism model in the study area. This was further enhanced by understanding the demographics, motivations and activities of nature tourists in the study area, and their expectations on developing this important niche market in the country.
