| Hakim Hayat |
EFFORTS to develop and revitalise the Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park in the Tutong District to become a top tourist attraction in country were discussed during a dialogue session yesterday.
The session was a joint initiative between the Brunei Museum Department, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Tourism Development Department, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT). Attending the event were members of the Tutong District Tourism Promotion and Coordination Body, tour operators and other government and non-governmental agencies.
Several ideas were mooted by different parties to help craft a long and short term plan for the park and its surroundings that have vast potential.
The Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park was recognised as an Asean Heritage Park in 1984, in an effort to preserve Asean’s heritage, making it one of the top tourist attractions in the Tutong District.
During the dialogue session, Mohd Jeffrey bin Haji Mohd Sunny Lai, the Head of the Nature Unit at the Tourism Development Department, shared some of the proposed strategic and systematic planning for the sustainable development of the park to attract more visitors and help boost the local s economy and livelihood.
Mohd Jeffrey also shared some propo-sed ideas of setting up homestays in the park, organising tour packages around the park and also promoting tourism products in collaboration with the local tourism body, village consultative councils and tour operators.
“As Tutong District’s pride, Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park has the potential to become a more attractive tourist destination due to its attractive natural beauty, lush and well-maintained flora and fauna and also existing infrastructures for visitors’ convenience such as its exhibition gallery and the butterfly park,” he added.
Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the MPRT, said that he hopes the proposed long and short term plans to maintain the park will help sustain its development through employment opportunities for the surrounding community and also give relevant stakeholders a chance to contribute to the Tutong District and the country as a whole, through a one-nation approach.
Also present at the briefing yesterday was Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, the Curator of Natural History and the Manager of Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park.
As part of their efforts to maintain the park’s cleanliness and attraction, a cleaning campaign will also be held next week, involving a number of government agencies and NGOs.
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