Bandar Seri Begawan - Tourism in Brunei Darussalam has been receiving good press recently with tourist figures on the rise for this year as well as new plans in place, like the recent MoU for the development of a transit tour programme, to raise interest amongst tourists to return to our shores.
Yet a more pragmatic approach is needed to consolidate efforts which seem to be somewhat fragmented.
Earlier this year when travelling to Malaysia, I asked fellow travellers from Europe and the Middle East whether they have heard of Brunei Darussalam.
"No, what is it like," queried one Dubai travel agent, whilst another member of the travelling group, an incentive agency from Scandanavia chimed in "is it anything like there (the UAE), and do they have lots of camels?"
Whilst there is a genuine interest to find out more about Brunei Darussalam, they felt that there is still work to be done in order to take advantage of it, and there is nothing better than spreading the merits of the sultanate by word of mouth.
Neighbours Malaysia and Thailand have been extremely proficient when it comes to marketing their tourist attractions.
Whilst Thailand has become a household name for tourists the world over, Malaysia too has profited from smart and strategic marketing that have punctuated their ‘Visit Malaysia Year‘, in particular hitting spectacular heights as they celebrated their 50th Anniversary of independence in August 2007.
Moreover, the return that the Malaysian government receives, is impressive to say the least from the RM$200 million allocated for promotion.
"The government (Malaysian government) is spending a dollar, but they get a hundred times more than that dollar spent," said Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Malaysia‘s Tourism Minister in May 2007.
The proposed ‘Window of Brunei‘ is a well-thought of step that allows transit passengers in Brunei Darussalam a complementary transit tour, a chance to see the cultural gems and treasure of heritage like Kampong Ayer, Sumbangsih Mulia and the Royal Regalia, one of the favourites for those who cannot look past our status as a Malay Islamic Monarchy.
Bruneians need to get behind this whole hearted push so as to provide visitors an insight to attractions of the sultanate.
Should the visitors to our country share positive experiences when they get back home while it is considered a small success, it is the most effective form of marketing that anyone could ask for.
Hearing from friends and family about exotic destinations has its pros and cons; it can take out the guessing game of picking the holiday destination but could set certain expectations which need to be fulfilled.
Ultimately, living up to them can only help holster the infant tourism industry that the nation is currently trying to establish.
It was reported that 176,000 tourists visited the Sultanate this year as of December.
Hypothetically speaking, if each tourist had spent $100 per day during a three-day visit in Brunei Darussalam, the $52,800,000 represents a significant boost to the local economy.
Furthermore, the multiplier effect would be greater if the money remains within Brunei Darussalam, or more is subsequently spent.
"To help achieve these areas of the service industries could cater towards them by focusing on the little things," said a travel operator from Malaysia.
Since Brunei has become a destination of fledgling interest for Northeast Asia, they can focus on age old techniques, such as focusing on consumer behaviour, he added.
Food menus can be printed in their native language or a tour operator who is a fluent speaker and familiar with their culture could help make them feel more welcome.
A former lecturer from Universiti Brunei Darussalam agrees saying that it makes business sense to do so.
All in all we have all the right ingredients for success, the only thing now is how best to serve the dish.
Source: www.brudirect.com (21 Desember 2007)
