Bandar Seri Begawan - Domestic tourism has improved as a result of strong cooperation and working relationship by tour and travel operators and the private sector's initiatives in other industries.

This was said by Pg Azmanishah Pg Hj Abd Rahman, marketing and promotions officer of Brunei Tourism, in a phone interview with The Brunei Times.

He said that an increased number of initiatives by the private sector involved in the primary resources sectors, such as agriculture and fisheries, have improved the tourism industry.

Brunei Tourism would like to see more participation from the private sector to further maximise this positive impact, he said.

"Not just the tour operators, villages and other private sector who are involved in the related industry, has shown initiative and helped to improve domestic tourism in our country," he said.

The remark was made in light of the recent opening of the Mangrove Paradise Resort at Jln Kota Batu, which is owned by a local entrepreneur who has been active in several fisheries projects in the past.

The resort, which offers a magnificent view of the Brunei River, is expected to be a hit during weekends and school holidays. It has 15 fully-furnished chalets, a seafood restaurant, a spa, a conference mom, a surau (prayer hall), two swimming pools and a saltwater fish pond.

"The resort is currently still on a trial run and has not been officially launched yet, but has already been receiving full house bookings every weekend," said Pg Azmanishah, adding that the owner of the resort was overwhelmed by the public response.

The officer said this proves that domestic tourism in Brunei has definitely improved as local visitors have been showing more interest in places of attraction available in the country.

This is in line with the objective of "Kenali Negara Kitani" (KNK) or Know Your Country initiative, which is a project undertaken by Brunei Tourism, along with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources' (MIPR) Department of Fisheries and Agriculture Department, he said.

"When you look at MIPR and the departments under it such as the fisheries and agriculture, Brunei Tourism complements all their products and services," Pg Azmanishah said.

Domestic tourists also play an important role to achieve the goal of meeting international customer service standards, as local visitors are more understanding than international tourists, he said.

"We start with the locals, so we can understand the standards better, based on feedback and reviews given," he said.

He added that KNK also serves as a preparation for local travel industry players to be ready when dealing with international tourists.

"To meet international standards, the most important issue is how to deal with people efficiently," Pg Azmanishah said.

He stressed that travel industry players must improve from time to time to meet international standards as any positive or negative experiences faced by a foreign visitor would have a more serious impact, as he or she does not have a clear understanding of the Sultanate.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

Comments (1)

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where ur manner
written by Unwanted guest , November 07, 2009

Up to international standrt wait till ur there experience everything slow service, rude workez including the owner.nice place to be but da ppl who handle better get their hotel management training

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