KUCHING, Oct 4: Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Suriya Charles Buas revealed that there had been significant growth in visitor arrivals from Brunei after the pandemic, with 848,075 visitors recorded during the January to August 2023 period, surpassing the 2019 levels.
In a statement today, Suriya said Sarawak has enjoyed faster recovery in terms of visitor arrivals from the Brunei market, and with that, STB aims to top its highest visitor arrivals from 2017–2023 which was 1,205,581 in 2017.
“With tourism recovery for the Brunei market, STB aimed to create more travel conversions from Brunei, which has been one of Sarawak’s traditional target markets due to its proximity and thriving cross-border tourism between Brunei and Miri,” he said during the 18th edition of Sabre Travel Network (Brunei) Sdn Bhd recently.
Suriya elaborated that with flights flying directly from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuching through Royal Brunei Airlines, STB will solidify its tourism presence in Brunei.
“STB is looking to expand on other multifaceted Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festivals (CANFF) and health tourism, being offered by Sarawak for repeat and new travellers from Brunei and many visitors to the fair expressed interest in travelling to Kuching and Mulu.
He added STB, along with Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) and Freme Travel, aimed to recharge and strengthen Sarawak’s presence in the Brunei market, foster business collaborations and provide updates on what the region could offer.
BMC Miri Medical Director Dr Kenny Yeap said as a leading private healthcare provider in Sarawak, he is excited to participate in the Sabre Travel Fair Brunei 2023 and to have the opportunity to serve the people of Brunei.
“We are committed to providing high-quality, affordable healthcare services to our patients, and we believe that participation in this fair is a great way to reach out to our patients and introduce them to our services.”
Freme Travel Managing Director Michael Lee said they are happy to be working with STB in highlighting Sarawak’s many attractions as a premier ecotourism destination, as his organisation offers enticing travel packages that showcase the best of Sarawak.
“Freme Travel, the leading travel agency in Brunei Darussalam, offers outbound and inbound tours, leisure travel services and corporate adventure team building.
“Throughout our 52-year journey, Freme Travel has diligently built and maintained a stellar reputation for providing reliable and professional services. As a result, we are widely recognised as the most innovative travel agency in Brunei Darussalam.
For more information on Sarawak, log on to www.sarawaktourism.com. — DayakDaily
