Packaging Borneo as a Tourist Destination

Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei should together draw up a regional tourism development plan to market Borneo as a destination, said state Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh.

He said the plan should focus on the distinctive and unique tourism attractions of the respective regions.

``Borneo and neighbouring Kalimantan have vast tourism potentials for development. You name it, we have it; and we have what (other countries) probably do not have,'' he added when opening the 4th International Borneo Tourism Conference at the Sarawak Tourism Complex here Wednesday.

Some 165 participants are taking part in the three-day event jointly organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and Borneo Integrated Services.

Wong said tourism players in Borneo should establish links with each other to share their knowledge and expertise.

He said the state tourism industry had to be more creative to broaden its range of products so as to continue to attract visitors around the world.

``Sarawak's more than 30 national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries are our crucial tourism attractions. We have to ensure sustainability in the management of nature-based tourism,” he added.

Wong said with 27 ethnic groups, the Land of the Hornbills had a rich culture which had to be preserved in the midst of the rapid pace of tourism development.

``We must preserve the originality and authenticity of our culture and our special traits for posterity,'' he added.

Earlier, STB's chief executive officer Gracie Geikie suggested Borneo be used as a brandname to package tourism products in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.

She said the conference would help tourism players in Borneo share findings and knowledge which were useful to further develop the regional tourism potentials.

Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel vmy2007]

Encouraging response to Borneo Tourism Conference

Over 70 participants have signed up for the 4th Borneo Tourism Conference and more are expected.

Besides Malaysians, those who have confirmed their attendance are from Brunei, Thailand and New Zealand.

Organised by Borneo Integrated Services with the support of the Sarawak Tourism Board, the conference will be held from Sept 11 to 13 at the Sarawak Tourism Complex here.

It aims to develop and market Borneo as a major tourist destination, promote tourism-related activities, stimulate domestic tourism growth and increase the number of tourists to Malaysia, Brunei and Kalimantan.

It also looks to consolidate best practices in the hospitality sector, build knowledge and appreciation of nature and develop networks among tourism players.

Speakers include Hector Ceballos-Lascurain from Mexico, Prof Ross Dowling and Mark Exeter (Australia), Costas Christ (United States) and Sarawak Convention Bureau chief executive Jill Henry.

A key feature of the conference will be a series of professional development workshops on topics such as developing an ecotourism masterplan and designing an ecolodge, attracting the cruise industry to Borneo and going green.

Registration for the conference is still open and forms are available online at www.borneotourism.org.

For more details, contact the conference secretariat at the Sarawak Tourism Board at 082-423600.

Source : STAR
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Royal Brunei set to fly to Sarawak

Royal Brunei Airlines will start flying to Sarawak in November, raising expectations of increased tourist arrivals to the state, particularly from Australia and northern Asia.

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) marketing manager Mary Wan Mering said the airline would fly thrice weekly from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuching beginning Nov 1.

“We regard Bandar Seri Begawan as an important hub for us because Royal Brunei flies a lot to South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong,” she said.

She added that STB would team up with Royal Brunei to market the new flights at the airline’s various destinations, starting with Australia.

She said Sarawak currently received about 20,000 tourists from Australia.

Source : STAR
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Frequent Travellers Card (FTC) Eases Travel from Brunei to Miri

Come June, Malaysians and Bruneians, who frequently use the Sungai Tujuh checkpoint to cross the border between the two countries, will no longer need to have their passports stamped.

The implementation of the frequent travellers card scheme (FTC) will allow for this hassle-free entry.

The FTC scheme enables citizens of both countries to use their respective chip-embedded smart identity cards to go through immigration checks.

The Sungai Tujuh checkpoint handles about two million entries from Brunei to Miri and the rest of Sarawak every year.

It is the second busiest entry point in Sarawak after the Kuching International Airport.

The FTC facility would only be available to those who crossed the border at least five times a month, Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat said after exchanging the scheme’s security cards with Brunei Home Affairs Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Paduka Idris Belaman at a hotel here yesterday.

Aseh also said the facility would be expanded to Tedungan, Sarawak/Kuala Lurah, Brunei, and Pandaruan, Sarawak/ Puni, Brunei, by June.

Source : STAR
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