Bahrain will host the International Tourism Investment Forum (ITIF) from January 10 to 12, 2027, bringing together governments, investors, financial institutions and tourism industry leaders to discuss the future of investment in the sector.
The forum will take place in Manama under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, and in partnership with UN Tourism.
The hosting agreement was signed at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai by Fatima bint Jaafar Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism of Bahrain, and Shaikha Nasser Al Nuwais, Secretary-General of UN Tourism. Officials and representatives from the tourism sector attended the signing.
The three-day forum is expected to focus on the direction of tourism investment, how projects can secure financing and how governments and the private sector can develop partnerships capable of generating long-term economic and social returns.
For Bahrain, the event will also provide an international platform to present tourism projects and investment opportunities to potential investors. The Kingdom is positioning the forum as part of its wider efforts to strengthen its role in regional tourism and attract international investment into the sector.
Al Sairafi said the agreement would support Bahrain’s efforts to establish itself as a regional and international destination for tourism investment. She pointed to the country’s investment environment, infrastructure, location and range of tourism offerings as areas it will seek to showcase to international participants.
“The Forum will give investors and decision-makers a global platform to find new opportunities and build lasting partnerships,” Al Sairafi said.
For UN Tourism, the forum reflects the growing importance of investment in determining how tourism develops and whether new projects can deliver broader economic benefits.
Al Nuwais said UN Tourism would bring its investment expertise and international network to Manama, with the aim of helping transform tourism opportunities into projects capable of attracting investment and generating lasting value.
The forum will therefore bring together two connected parts of the tourism investment equation: the governments and destinations seeking capital for tourism development, and the investors and financial institutions looking for viable projects.
Bahrain’s decision to host the event also strengthens its cooperation with UN Tourism and places the Kingdom at the centre of an international discussion on tourism investment. The partnership is intended to draw on the UN agency’s global expertise while supporting the competitiveness of Bahrain’s tourism sector and its wider investment environment.
With the forum scheduled for January 2027, Manama will become a meeting point for tourism policymakers, investors and industry leaders examining where capital is flowing, how tourism projects can be financed and what partnerships could shape the sector’s next phase of development.
