City Tours Increasing In Popularity | Local News
City Tours Increasing In Popularity | Local News
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's city tour operators are seeing heightened interest among tourists in the Sultanate's capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and other urban areas, with some saying that visitors are as interested in the urban areas as they are in the lush forests of the country.
This, as tour operators confirmed a marked increase in tourist arrivals in the country following the expansion of flights by flag carrier Royal Brunei Airlines Sdn Bhd as well as the quieting down of concerns over the H1N1 virus strain that caused a global flu pandemic last year.
The tour operators' observation lend support to the Brunei Tourism Board's expectations of a jump in tourist visits this year.
The Brunei Times had earlier reported that tourist arrivals to the country were expected to have risen by 20-30 per cent in 2010, exceeding the 14 per cent annual target set by the government. Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, chief executive of Brunei Tourism, had said Chinese tourists make up the majority of the tourist arrivals.
"There has been a definite increase of tourists," said Sugu Maran, in-bound tour manager of Freme Travel Services, who noted that the city tours are catching the attention of visitors.
Often, people chose city tours as a primary preference, he said. The tour includes visits to various mosques and religious centres, the ancient water village of Kampong Ayer, open markets, as well as other cultural sites such as museums and tombs of previous sultans.
"We do also try to promote visits to Temburong, and generally they are interested once they hear about our offers," said Sugu.
Temburong, the eastern-most district in Brunei, is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by Malaysia and Brunei Bay. It is home to Brunei's first national park, the Ulu Temburong National Park, which covers 550 square kilometres of the Temburong forest.
Another tour operator who wished to remain anonymous said city tours were more popular among tourists than visits to the country's jungles because they feel that the rainforests were "too exotic".
She noted that many of these tourists opt for the most basic package, choosing to go around the city and perhaps to the Seria Oil Fields, where one can catch a glimpse of active oil wells.
"Often these tourists are also just transiting through Brunei," the tour operator said, as part of a longer journey.
While the maximum length a tourist can stay in Brunei on a transit visa is three days, the tour operator said that often, those who transit stay only for a few hours, and spend just enough time to get on a bus to see the city's mosques as well as to make a quick visit to some of the museums.
For three days and two nights of stay, it is possible for tourists to see quite a bit of the country's developed areas, she added.
Meanwhile, CP Foo, tour manager for Century Travel Services, said that a number of tourists who come to visit the country are not actually part of any tour package.
Noting that his tour company's office is based near the centre of Bandar, he said that 20 to 30 times a month, the company would have people coming in from other countries, asking how to best go around the Sultanate.
He said this was higher compared to the last few years, when the company only had one or two such visits. Most of the inquiries are from Europeans who often just walk around the city and are on a more limited budget, he said.
"Some even travel by road, asking what's the best way to get to Kuala Belait or Seria, or even Miri and Labuan." -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's city tour operators are seeing heightened interest among tourists in the Sultanate's capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and other urban areas, with some saying that visitors are as interested in the urban areas as they are in the lush forests of the country.
This, as tour operators confirmed a marked increase in tourist arrivals in the country following the expansion of flights by flag carrier Royal Brunei Airlines Sdn Bhd as well as the quieting down of concerns over the H1N1 virus strain that caused a global flu pandemic last year.
The tour operators' observation lend support to the Brunei Tourism Board's expectations of a jump in tourist visits this year.
The Brunei Times had earlier reported that tourist arrivals to the country were expected to have risen by 20-30 per cent in 2010, exceeding the 14 per cent annual target set by the government. Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, chief executive of Brunei Tourism, had said Chinese tourists make up the majority of the tourist arrivals.
"There has been a definite increase of tourists," said Sugu Maran, in-bound tour manager of Freme Travel Services, who noted that the city tours are catching the attention of visitors.
Often, people chose city tours as a primary preference, he said. The tour includes visits to various mosques and religious centres, the ancient water village of Kampong Ayer, open markets, as well as other cultural sites such as museums and tombs of previous sultans.
"We do also try to promote visits to Temburong, and generally they are interested once they hear about our offers," said Sugu.
Temburong, the eastern-most district in Brunei, is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by Malaysia and Brunei Bay. It is home to Brunei's first national park, the Ulu Temburong National Park, which covers 550 square kilometres of the Temburong forest.
Another tour operator who wished to remain anonymous said city tours were more popular among tourists than visits to the country's jungles because they feel that the rainforests were "too exotic".
She noted that many of these tourists opt for the most basic package, choosing to go around the city and perhaps to the Seria Oil Fields, where one can catch a glimpse of active oil wells.
"Often these tourists are also just transiting through Brunei," the tour operator said, as part of a longer journey.
While the maximum length a tourist can stay in Brunei on a transit visa is three days, the tour operator said that often, those who transit stay only for a few hours, and spend just enough time to get on a bus to see the city's mosques as well as to make a quick visit to some of the museums.
For three days and two nights of stay, it is possible for tourists to see quite a bit of the country's developed areas, she added.
Meanwhile, CP Foo, tour manager for Century Travel Services, said that a number of tourists who come to visit the country are not actually part of any tour package.
Noting that his tour company's office is based near the centre of Bandar, he said that 20 to 30 times a month, the company would have people coming in from other countries, asking how to best go around the Sultanate.
He said this was higher compared to the last few years, when the company only had one or two such visits. Most of the inquiries are from Europeans who often just walk around the city and are on a more limited budget, he said.
"Some even travel by road, asking what's the best way to get to Kuala Belait or Seria, or even Miri and Labuan." -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
