Obstacles abound, in the form of limited air access and night entertainment, but Brunei MICE sellers are bent on winning over the Chinese, writes S Puvaneswary

An Air access and limited entertainment options in Brunei are main obstacles to the Sultanate’s quest for corporate events from China, but local MICE specialists are not letting that stop their courtship of Chinese clients.

Currently, Royal Brunei Airlines is the only airline serving the Bandar Seri Begawan–Shanghai route with three flights weekly. It operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday using the Airbus 320 with a configuration of 12 business class and 132 economy class seats.

This is the only point in China that Royal Brunei Airlines flies to.

Inbound MICE specialists in Brunei said the destination needed more direct flights to China, especially to first-tier cities, in order to gain a bigger share of the Chinese MICE market.

Khirul Zainie, managing director of MegaBorneo Tour Planner, told TTGmice that he is only targeting small groups of less than 50 people from Shanghai, as securing seats for larger groups is a challenge.

Khirul added that Brunei will be sold as a dual destination, either combined with Malaysia or Singapore. Explaining the rationale, he said: “Brunei lacks attractions that appeal to Chinese MICE travellers such as night entertainment, gaming and drinking. It is easier to sell when Brunei is combined with another destination where travellers can drink, shop and have venues for night entertainment.”

Freme Travel Services manager, inbound and MICE division, Sugumaran Nair, shares Khirul’s contraints with seat capacity.

“If we get a bigger group (of more than 50 pax), we will have to split the group and have the delegates arrive into Brunei in batches,” he said.   “We will have a stronger chance of securing more business from first-tier cities like Beijing and Guangzhou if we had direct flights. Most MICE organisers prefer direct flights due to time constraints as the average stay in Brunei is about three days.”

Last year, Freme saw an uptick in incentive business from China over 2012. It is still too early to gauge how 2014 will pan out for the company, but Sugumaran said forward bookings are coming in.

Jodie Chu, tour coordinator for Bon Asia Holidays, said the company had confirmed a number of incentive groups for 2014 with an average of two- to three-day stay. Sabah was usually a popular choice for twin programmes with Brunei, she noted.

Also in on the Chinese MICE action is Orchid Garden Hotel. Mohd Iswandi Maaruf, director of sales, said the hotel is working with inbound operators handling the Chinese market to create conference and leisure packages.

He said the hotel works well for Chinese MICE groups because of its Vanda Chinese Restaurant and proximity to Brunei International Airport and Brunei Convention Centre.

Private MICE stakeholders in Brunei are supported by Brunei Tourism’s efforts to promote the Sultanate as a meetings and incentives destination. The bureau is going direct to the top 1,000 corporate firms in Greater China, most of which are headquartered in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, while its China office will also participate at ITE 2014 in Hong Kong.

A MICE guide has also been produced to raise awareness of the destination and its event infrastructure. It provides meeting planners with details of meeting and convention venues, recreational activities, tourist spots and the range of services and support offered by Brunei Tourism to organisers who are hosting events with international participation.

According to Salinah Salleh, the bureau’s tourism officer for marketing & promotions, Brunei gets more leisure visitors from China, compared to business event travellers.

Brunei lacks statistics on MICE arrivals, although available tourism data showed 26,407 Chinese visitors in the first 10 months of 2013, an increase from 2012 which saw 24,504 arrivals.

Salinah said: “Our goal is to have MICE planners consider Brunei when they are looking for a new destination for incentives, meetings, conferences, product launches or teambuilding activities. Brunei makes a very convenient and refreshing pre/post-conference destination (for events held in) nearby meeting capitals such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.”

Salinah also recommended twinning Brunei with Sabah or Bali for programmes that feature the sun and the sea, or with Dubai for a desert and jungle experience, or use Brunei as a stopover for groups travelling to and from Australia or New Zealand.

Need to know

Get back to nature

City folks attending meetings in Brunei should take the chance to get closer to Mother Nature. Start the day with morning tea at a local restaurant in Bangar, the capital of Temburong district, then continue onwards to Batang Duri Village.

Light refreshments at Freme Rainforest Lodge can be arranged, before proceeding further on to Bukit Patoi Forest Reserve. Here, stroll down the wooden walkways to the Canopy for a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside and enjoy the serenity.

Return to Freme Rainforest Lodge for lunch. For groups with energetic delegates, a series of outdoor teambuilding activities can be planned for the afternoon.

Contact Freme Travel Services at fremeinb@brunet.bn for arrangements.

Shopping like a local

One of the best ways to see how the locals live is to visit the local market. The Kg Kianggeh Open Air Market is a lively place where a wide selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood are sold by friendly merchants. Some stalls also sell fresh coconut and sugar cane juices, as well as grilled fish, offering shoppers an opportunity to snack as they explore the market.

A taste of Indonesian cuisine

Considered one of Brunei’s most established Indonesian restaurants, Pondok Sari Wangi specialises in dishes from Java, Padang and Sulawesi. Ayam penyet (flattened crispy, fried chicken), ayam rendang (chicken cooked in a rich and spicy coconut sauce), tahu telur (beancurd omelette) and beef satay come highly recommended. Pondok Sari Wangi has three branches across Brunei, in Gadong, Sengkurong and Citi Square.

Explore a night market

Besides visiting a local market, visitors to Brunei should make time for a walk through Pasar Malam Gadong, or Gadong night market. For just a few dollars, one can load up on freshly cooked local favourites such as hati buyah (stir-fried slices of beef lungs) and pulut panggang (rice and prawns or beef wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over fire).