BRUNEI-MUARA

DOMESTIC tourists are falling hook, line and sinker for the fishing village Kg Sg Matan as it recorded 3,250 domestic tourist arrivals and 433 foreign tourists this year.

Coming would certainly see jump in these numbers, said Pg Hj Abdul Rahman Pg Hj Zainal, Kg Sg Matan village head, yesterday at the launching of the Kg Sg Matan Fishing Festival, which coincided with the official opening of its cultural stage (pentas kebudayaan). Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Hj Nazmi Hj Mohamad was present as guest of honour.

The cultural stage was completed this September and will be maintained by the Brunei-Muara District Office.

The $200,000 cultural stage will be the venue for all cultural performances and activities for tourists and visitors.

Visitors are welcomed to participate in the activities lined up throughout the festival (from December 24 to 28).

The inaugural Kg Sg Matan Fishing Festival features various activities aimed at providing the residents additional platform to sell their products.

The Fishing Festival consolidates Kg Sg Matan’s activities throughout December instead of organising activities several times a year. It aims at fostering community spirit by incorporating activities that revolved around culture, sports and religion.

Visitors can browse through Kg Sg Matan products such as dried fish and prawns as well as participate in activities for both children and adult alike.

A traditional boat race is scheduled for today beginning 8am to 5pm, and the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, is expected to attend.

Most importantly, the fishing festival aims to introduce Kg Sg Matan as a fishing village and reintroduce its Matan Homestay.

The village is one of the country’s popular tourism destinations under the Tourism Development Department’s Kenali Negara Kitani (Know Your Country) initiative.

Matan Homestay programme and Matan Fishing Village are the village’s flagship products under the Ministry of Home Affairs’s ‘One Village, One Product’ programme.

Kg Sg Matan put the prize money that it won as bronze medallist at the 2012 Excellent Village Award to good use, by purchasing a fibreglass boat to boost its tourism package.

Visitors can also now experience the Matan River Cruise, another tourist attraction featuring a 20-seater boat used to take tourists for a river cruise.

Pg Hj Abdul Rahman said they will continue to strive to find new ways to improve their tourism packages.

The Brunei Times