KUCHING - Royal Brunei Airlines will start flying into Sarawak this November, raising expectations of increased tourist arrivals in the state, particularly from Australia and north Asia.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) marketing manager Mary Wan Mering said the airline will fly three times a week from the Bruneian capital Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuching beginning Nov 1.
"We regard Bandar Seri Begawan as an important hub for us because Royal Brunei flies into South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong a lot.
"We want to tap into these markets and get these passengers to come here through Brunei," she said. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with industry players here on Wednesday, Mering said STB would team up with Royal Brunei to market the new flights at the airline's various destinations, starting with Australia.
"Royal Brunei have very good access to Australian cities, including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin. So Australia will be our first target, and north Asia after that," she said.
She added that Sarawak currently received about 20,000 tourists from Australia.
"With the three flights coming in from Royal Brunei, we hope we can increase the number of arrivals by 15 per cent," she said.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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