| Azlan Othman |
THE partnership between government and tourism industry stakeholders is central to sustain promising improvements in tourism and hospitality, said Karam Chand, the Chairman of Industry Steering Committee for Hospitality and Tourism Services and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB).
He made these comments during an Industry Steering Committee Engagement yesterday at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) Sultan Saiful Rijal Campus, in Jalan Muara.
The guest of honour at the event was Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT).
During the session, Chand cited statistics which show that the tourism industry directly accounts for 1.5 per cent of Brunei Darussalam’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014.
The figures have risen by as much as 2.5 per cent in 2015 and 4.7 per annum through to 2025, to reach $515.8 million or 1.8 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
“Last year, it was reported that the total number of international tou-rist arrivals to Brunei Darussalam through the Brunei International Airport (BIA) reached 218,809 in 2016, compared to 218,213 in 2015, recording a 0.3 per cent year-on-year increase,” said Chand.
“Even so, we still have a long way to go, and only through a joint effort will we be able to reach our fundamental goal,” he added.
He said that a partnership based on trust and collective effort is essential for the sector’s development in the long term, and to ensure Brunei’s competitiveness as a vibrant tourism destination.
Karam Chand, the Chairman of Industry Steering Committee for Hospitality and Tourism Services and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), and Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) during an Industry Steering Committee Engagement yesterday at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, IBTE Sultan Saiful Rijal Campus
However, Chand noted the lack of development in this particular sector, caused by a deficiency in manpower, which he said was “a cause for concern”.
“The tourism industry is projected to provide an estimated 20,000 jobs, equivalent to 7.7 per cent of the total employment by 2025,” he said.
“The success of this industry depends on and is closely linked to skills development. Thus, there is a pressing need to give special attention to training our locals in specifically tourism-orientated skills, which will ensure the professionalism of service performance; hence ensuring the sustainability of the tourism industry in Brunei.”
Chand also said that IBTE is mandated to oversee the Short Term Priority Action 8 and engender more close collaborations with registered training organisations (RTOs), in line with aspirations and objectives of the Industry Competency Framework (ICF), which is coordinated by the Manpower Policy and Planning Unit (MPPU) of the Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (EIDPMO). “Hence, to support this priority, an Industry Steering Committee between IBTE and the relevant industry partners has been formed,” he said.
“Among the functions of this committee, which I would like to highlight is to ensure that the programmes IBTE offers are aligned to national initiatives such as the ICF; and only by working together, by advising on curriculum matters and skill standards, as well as providing information on the development and progress particularly on employment trends, technological changes and skills requirements, can this objective be achieved.”
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli the Deputy CEO (Corporate) of IBTE, said, “The road will not be without challenges. However, with strong, united efforts from the government and the private sector, these hurdles can be overcome. Our intention is to develop our hospitality and tourism industry, and create job opportunities for Bruneians.”
He added, “The engagement session is aimed to update industry representatives on the function and responsibilities of IBTE; creating awareness on the Industry Steering Committee role for the development of IBTE; obtain invaluable inputs and feedback from various stakeholders; as well as securing support towards the development of IBTE programmes, and I believe that we have fulfilled these aims.”
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