The highlight of the day was the unveiling of Vatel Bahrain’s bachelor’s and newly introduced master’s programmes in International Hotel Management. Participants were introduced to a curriculum that fuses classroom instruction with hands-on training via internships in five-star hotels both in the Kingdom and overseas. According to the school’s general director, the initiative addresses a pressing demand for qualified managerial talent in Bahrain’s expanding tourism and hospitality industry.
“Today’s open day gives prospective students a clear window into what our programmes offer — from operational competence to leadership readiness,” said Sheikh Khaled bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who serves as General Director of Vatel Bahrain. He added that aligning with the Kingdom’s economic diversification vision, the school is “committed to developing professionals who not only serve today’s hotels but shape tomorrow’s hospitality ecosystem.”
Attendees were given escorted tours of Sofitel’s operational departments and invited to take part in simulation sessions, including front-office check-in, concierge guest-experience role-play and food-and-beverage service demonstrations. A networking segment allowed students to speak directly with school alumni now working at regional luxury resorts, as well as human-resources managers from partner properties.
From the industry side, the resort’s senior management voiced support for the event. Marco Terranova, Executive Chef at Sofitel Bahrain, emphasised the value of industry-academia linkage. “By interacting here with real hospitality professionals and seeing back-of-house operations first-hand, students make more informed career choices. For the hotel sector, it means a better pipeline of trained talent who understand guest expectations, sustainability and service excellence.”
The timing of the open day reflects the broader momentum in Bahrain’s tourism sector. Government data last year reported that hotel occupancy in Manama and the western coastal resorts had risen steadily, driven by expanded event hosting, grand-prix tourism and wellness-destination development. Vatel Bahrain estimates that its graduates will aim not only at domestic employment but also at regional hubs such as Dubai, Riyadh and Muscat. According to the school’s literature, its master’s programme places “50 per cent of its curriculum” in direct industry-based work placements.
Parents who attended the event expressed appreciation for the transparency and hands-on orientation of the sessions. “We liked that our daughter got to shadow a check-in desk and that she met someone working in hotel finance,” said one father who requested anonymity. The open day produced a queue of students seeking admissions guidance, scholarship details and exchange-programme options.
Challenges remain for the sector and for Vatel Bahrain. Educators emphasised that while front-line hospitality roles are still growth-oriented, the market for mid-to-senior-level managers is becoming more competitive, especially as automation, artificial-intelligence-driven guest-services and sustainability-compliance reshape job profiles. The school will reportedly introduce modules on data-analytics for guest behaviour, and ESG frameworks in resort operations, to ensure that graduates remain relevant.
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Bahrain