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Brunei’s diving industry in spotlight
BRUNEI’S diving industry was recently in the spotlight during the launching of Brunei Diving Packages at the Serasa Watersports Complex.
A total of eight diving packages were officially launched at the Serasa Watersports Complex in Serasa Beach on July 12 by Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.
A joint collaboration between the Tourism Development Department and local diving operators, Oceanic Quest Sdn Bhd and Poni Divers Sdn Bhd, the new packages will be promoted to local and foreign tourists, along with specialised courses for people of all ages.
The Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism delivered a speech at the launching, and it was shared that the diving industry has generated a revenue of B$800,000 during the 2010-2017 period and is expected to significantly assist in the country’s efforts to create a strong, diversified and sustainable economy.
According to the minister, the sector is bourgeoning with revenues gradually increasing over the years and the industry is well prepared to see further leap by 2020 when it expects an annual inflow of 5,000 tourist divers into the country.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali also said Brunei boasts more than 60 pristine diving sites including some 30 shipwrecks, beautiful coral reefs, rich marine life and rare macro-critters – all makes Brunei a very exciting diving destination.
“Brunei has over 410 coral species and 700 species of reef fish. The Sultanate’s diving industry prides itself over its continuous marine conservation efforts as the country’s coral life is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world.”
“For long-term sustainability of the diving industry, we all have a role to actively conserve the coral reefs and diversity of marine life,” the minister said.
“According to the statistics provided by our dive operators, Brunei recorded over 10,000 divers between 2010 and 2017 – which means an average of 1,400 divers per year – and of this, 38 per cent were overseas tourist divers.”
“Major source markets of tourist divers are Malaysia and Singapore which account for nearly 40 per cent of the total market share, while other divers come from Europe, Australia, the United Kingdom and also the Far East. On average, divers spend about B$1,500 per person per package and stay about six days,” the minister explained.
He added that the Tourism Development Department has set a target of 5,000 tourist divers per year as part of its vision to achieve 450,000 inbound tourist arrivals by air by 2020.
In achieving these goals, the minister urged the need for concerted efforts by dive operators, travel agents and airlines in their international promotional activities to attract new and repeat divers.
“We realise that diving is a niche market that requires a great deal of promotion to ensure growth of this sector. Hence, cross-selling and cross-promotion of diving and non-diving packages are crucial and should be further enhanced to include other tourism products and experiences such as Temburong, Bandar Seri Begawan or Kampong Ayer Packages,” he noted.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali also highlighted the need to come up with fresh initiatives and exciting products to ensure high quality in the services offered by dive operators in Brunei.
The minister also said that his ministry, through the Tourism Development Department, has been working closely with dive operators, Marine Department, Royal Brunei Navy, Association of Travel Agents Brunei (ATAB) and Brunei Association of Hotels (BAH) that hold important roles in ensuring that proper procedures and well-maintained infrastructures are in place for the divers.
“The government believes that the diving sector will continue to assist in our efforts to create a strong, diversified and sustainable economy.”
“We applaud the diving operators on their continuous efforts in making a positive impact on the economy, as this enables us to move closer to the diversification goal of Brunei Vision 2035 of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Government,” he added.
In addition to the minister’s speech, the launching ceremony for the eight diving packages featured a brief video presentation, after which the minister was invited to view a mini-exhibition showcasing several diving activities, including those offered in the new diving packages.
In the afternoon on the day of the launch, Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali was also taken on a tour of Pelong Rock or Pilong-Pilongan Island, situated about eight kilometres from the Serasa Beach, and is visible from the Meragang and Muara beaches. The site is one of the most popular spots for beginners learning to scuba dive and snorkel. There are plenty of dive sites around Pelong Rock, namely Pelong North, Pelong South, Pelong East, Pelong West, Pelong Lagoon, Pelong Ridges and even the lesser-known Pelong Cave. A beautiful rock formation jutting out from below the water surface, Pelong Rock is a protected area ranging from one to 18 metres.
The Managing Director of Poni Divers Sdn Bhd, Wong Thye Sing, told the Bulletin during the launch that among the new activities on offer are free diving, technical diving, underwater photography and marine conservation projects.
“Diving has become one of the most enjoyable and popular activities in Brunei these days,” he said, adding that the main highlight of local diving expeditions is the existence of over 30 shipwrecks in the Brunei Bay.
When asked about the challenges in managing a diving company in Brunei, he said, “When we first started, all my staff members were unable to scuba dive. It was challenging.
“Since then, we have made plenty of progress, and have been training locals to become diving guides and scuba instructors. It took several years to achieve, yet we are definitely in a much better position now to do diving activities in Brunei,” he added.
With regard to the potential of the diving industry in Brunei, he said, “We definitely have a lot of space to grow. Whenever we go to places like the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries, some are still unaware of the fact that Brunei has diving activities. So if we can boost more awareness, we can definitely expand the industry two or three times its present size,” he said, while also emphasising the importance of prioritising marine conservation.
“As the industry is still very young, efforts are being made to expand it through marine conservation, which includes ensuring that the coral reefs will still be around in 10 to 20 years from now,” he said.
The Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism has taken steps to protect underwater marine life, including the instalment of mooring buoys around diving sites to allow diving operators to secure their boats and prevent damage to the corals.
Also present at the launching ceremony were permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, foreign dignitaries, diving stakeholders, representatives of Royal Brunei Airlines, hoteliers, travel agents and tour operators.
Source: http://borneobulletin.com.bn/bruneis-diving-industry-spotlight/