| Lyna Mohamad |
DATO Seri Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Deputy Minister of Finance, yesterday urged travel agents to develop more tour packages showcasing what Brunei can offer not only to local population but also to travellers from abroad.
In an interview after officiating the launch of the two-day Brunei Travel Fair 2017, organised by Sabre Travel Network Brunei at the International Convention Centre in Berakas, the minister said that the event is an opportunity for people to plan their holidays, and more importantly, it also showcases domestic tourism with a very encouraging number of packages for people to choose.
“Hopefully local travel agents will work together with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) as well as other relevant agencies and ministries to develop more packages in the future,” he said.
The deputy minister also expressed the hope that there will be more such promotions on local tourism in the coming years and it is very encouraging to see some of the travel agents creating their own packages on this sector.
“Brunei obviously has a lot of attractions including a number of eco-tourism spots and places of interest such as Temburong, Tutong and even the Kampong Ayer that have not been fully exploited,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Sabre, Karam Chand, in his welcoming address at the launching ceremony, was confident of seeing an increase in the number of visitors to the event compared to previous years.
“Brunei Travel Fair is an important event for the nation and Sabre Travel Network Brunei is proud to once again organise this event for the benefit of Bruneians, the expat community, airlines, travel trade partners, national tourist offices and our other business partners,” he said.
The 14th edition the fair offers travellers a wide range of deals under a single roof and is a testimony to Sabre’s commitment to provide a large platform for its travel partners for showcasing their products and services.
Karam Chand further noted that with the broad support from travellers and their travel partners including national tourist offices, travel agents and financial institutions, the fair is becoming a much-anticipated event for Bruneians every year.
Sabre has provided more than 50 terminals to the travel agencies participating at the fair to help them efficiently service their clients. General Manager of Sabre Travel Network Brunei Irene Soon said that the fair provides an excellent opportunity for Brunei-based travellers to shop for both overseas and domestic travel packages. “It is an event on the travel calendar not to be missed,” she added.
The travel agents participating at the fair are Pan Bright Travel Service, Anthony Tours & Travel Agency, At-Taqwa Travel Tours, Bess Tour & Travel, Century Travel Centre, Darussalam Holdings and Freme Travel Services, Grace Travel Agency, JJ Tour Service, Sinar Tour, Southern Cross Travel Agencies, Straits Central Agencies and Sunshine Borneo Tours.
The national tourism organisations participating in the event are the Brunei Tourism Board, the Sabah Tourism Board, the Sarawak Tourism Board, the Taiwan Tourist Bureau, the Tourism Authority Thailand and the Tourism Perak Management Board.
Other exhibitors are Baiduri Bank Berhad, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Jerudong Park Country Club, Poni Divers, Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) who are showcasing their booths to extend support to the participating travel agents and provide assistance to visitors.
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