THE Labuan Tourism Action Council (LTAC) is looking to increase tourism arrivals from Brunei by intensifying its sales pitch for its homestay programme.
Jamilah Abdul Halim, a Tourism Malaysia director stationed in Brunei, said her office, which is helping LTAC in its promotions work, is planning to collaborate with the Brunei Tourism Board to help market its homestay programme under an arrangement that will benefit the neighbours.
Zunaidah Hamzah, event manager of LTAC, said in a recent interview that Labuan has attracted more visitors through the programme in recent months.
Jamilah said that Labuan's homestay programme started in 2006 and because of the close distance travelling from Brunei to Labuan, LTAC is marketing it to Bruneians to give them an option to stay longer in Labuan and learn more about its cultural heritage.
Last year, there were 36,275 Bruneians visited Labuan, and some have considered the homestay packages, said Jamilah.
She said that the number of Bruneian visitors to Labuan has been increasing due to the establishment of the homestay programme. No figures for the past few months were available.
Zunaidah some Bruneians also take advantage of the competitive prices of the homestay packages to stay for one night in labuan and from there to Kuala Lumpur.
Expatriates based in Brunei have also been trying out the Labuan homestay packages, said Jamilah.
Zunainah said there are three homestays in Labuan: Bukit Kuda Village, Patau-Patau II Village and Sungai Labu Village.
She added that this year, the Labuan homestay programme has had an "overwhelming" response despite competition from Kota Kinabalu which upped its tourism attraction aimed at shoppers in 2007.
The homestay packages allow visitors to observe locals go through their daily routines and learn about their culture.
"Apart from this, we include cultural shows, local cuisine cooking, bird watching and among others," said Zunainah.
A homestay room rate is about RM50 for two persons and a lower RM30 for students.
Labuan can be reached from Brunei through a ferry ride from Serasa Ferry Terminal. Two ferries sail daily to Labuan and back.The Brunei Times
Culture and tourism: The Labuan Tourism Action Council is actively marketing its homestay packages to Bruneians and visitors from other countries interested in learning about local culture and experiencing up close the lives of locals. Labuan's homestay programme is also mixed with numerous other activities that include trips to lush gardens and tropical landscapes in places like Kampung Bukit Kuda, Patau-Patau II Village and Kampung Sungai Labu. Similar to programmes in Thailand and Vietnam, Malaysia's homestay programme aims to attract tourists who prefer mixing sightseeing with cultural appreciation. Picture: Courtesy of Tourism Malaysia
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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