| James Kon |
MINISTER of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong yesterday called on local tour operators to offer numerous quality and flexible packages for cruise ship passengers to help promote the culture and attractions in Brunei, and boost local economy.
The minister made this call on board the Sapphire Princess – which is ferrying 2,768 passengers and 1,000 crew members – that was docked at the Muara Port for a day. Brunei is the second port of call for the ship.
Speaking to the Bulletin, the minister noted that there is great opportunity in bringing more cruise ships for stopovers in Brunei Darussalam.
Although the Sapphire Princess is stopping over for a few hours, “the passengers who disembark to visit the city will bring business to local economy, such as spending on local souvenirs. Meanwhile, Brunei can also showcase its unique and rich culture to passengers,” he explained.
Through the visit, “we hope passengers will be impressed and help promote Brunei as a good tourist destination, and return for another visit,” he added.
“The cruise ship industry is a very competitive one. Other countries encourage cruise ships to stop at their port. Therefore, we have to make sure that when a cruise ship arrives, passengers will receive good hospitality and be offered quality visit to various local hotspots in the country,” he said.
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Paduka Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong onboard the Sapphire Princess with Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid. – JAMES KON
Meanwhile, Captain Nick Carlton of Sapphire Princess was impressed with the facilities of the port, noting that is possesses great future for the arrival of cruise ships.
“Muara Port is very protected from the waves, is easy to berth at and the people are very friendly. It’s a very nice port to come into,” he said.
The luxury cruise ship is currently based in the region for its second homeporting season from November 2015 to March 2016, making roundtrips from Singapore to Southeast Asia destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
This is one of the largest deployments by a premium cruise line in the region, covering seven countries and 12 ports over a wide range of cruise lengths ranging from three to 11 days.
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