| Lyna Mohamad |
TOURISM Malaysia (TM) is set to achieve its target of 1.45 million tourist arrivals this year after not being able to achieve its previous target of 1.4 million a year ago due to economic downturns.
Malaysia has seen positive signs of achieving the target after recording 15.2 per cent increase in Brunei travellers to Malaysia from January to June this year.
This was highlighted by Zurina Abdul Samad, Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) Director, during the an interview following the opening of the Brunei Travel Fair 2016 yesterday, which they have been participating in since the travel fair was first organised 13 years ago.
Their participation has seen quite an achievement with tourist arrivals increasing each year aside from a couple years back amid the Malaysia Airlines incidents.
TM Brunei has worked hard to build back the trust of Bruneians travelling to Malaysia via Malaysia Airlines and to date has seen a positive rise.
Zurina Abdul Samad, Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) Director, during an interview with the Weekend Bulletin. – AZROL AZMI
“Bruneians have started using Malaysia Airlines again to travel, showing that it’s recovering to normal (levels) and I surely expect an increase of Brunei tourist arrivals and more so with the strong currency of Brunei against the Malaysian ringgit,” she added.
This year, they brought in Malaysian sellers from Sabah and the Sarawak Tourism Board for the first time.
“We brought in sellers mostly promoting accommodation since the Brunei market leans more to frequent independent travellers (FIT). FIT mostly do not rely on travel agents as they book directly,” she said.
The Sarawak Tourism Board and participating hotels are also sponsoring several prizes for quizzes during the three-day event where the Sarawak Tourism Board is giving away a three days two nights stay at Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa at Mulu National Park for two.
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