Participants of a recently-concluded tour guide course are eager to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to highlight local tourism spots in the Sultanate.
Jocelyn Sim, a participant of the 14th Tour Guide Course organised by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism and Laksamana College of Business, said the course was
not easy.
“Being a tour guide, you get to introduce Brunei Darussalam to visitors from many different parts of the world,” she said.
“You have to possess the knowledge at your fingertips,” she said, adding that even though she had previous experience in the tourism industry, it is easy to feel nervous when speaking in front of people.
Sim was previously a tour guide but stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was not great at public speaking, and didn’t know much so I hesitated at becoming a tour guide,” she said. “However, after assisting in handling a few tour groups, I realised it is something I am passionate about,” she added.
Joan Ting Sze Lian, who had taken the course for the first time, said the programme was packed with activities and knowledge on Brunei’s potential for tourism.
She said she is mainly into nature tourism, particularly bird watching.
“Brunei has vast species of birds around 500 and some of these birds can only be found in Borneo Island. There are some birds migrating due to logging activities in other countries.”
She added that there are growing demands on bird watching activities in Brunei and customers are willing to pay quite a good amount for the service.
“Bird watching is not only watching birds from a distance. You get to learn about other things like migration periods, the food they eat and their habitats, You have to know where to find the birds,” she said.
Since introduction of the course, over 200 tour guides have registered with the Tourism Development Department. – James Kon
