Hakim Hayat
The country is ready to welcome international tourists with revamped and improved tourism products, once borders re-open for non-essential travel, said Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong said
Legislative Council (LegCo) member Yang Berhormat Iswandy bin Ahmad at the fourth day of the 18th LegCo session yesterday, queried government plans to re-open the country for international tourism as the Endemic Phase is now in place and other countries have begun re-opening their borders.
The minister said the decision to re-open the country’s borders for international tourism depends on the advice of the country’s health authority, based on current developments.
The minister said he cannot give a certain timeline on when the borders will re-open.
However, he said the country is ready when the time comes. The minister said domestic tourism has given them the upper hand in the preparation to “reignite the tourism sector” when the borders re-open.
“Apart from ‘prime and heritage products’, such as Kampong Ayer and Bandar Seri Begawan, we have also added new products through collaborations with district offices, by utilising activities from village consultative councils (MPK) for tourism products.”
He said the country has also started promoting ‘Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions’ (MICE) tourism, popular in Singapore and Hong Kong by organising media conferences and exhibitions.
Last year, 8,000 visitors were recorded in a hybrid conference organised by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT), he said, adding that “if things get back to normal, we already have the foundation to organise international conferences and hope that MICE tourism will further develop”.
Meanwhile, the minister also touched on the use of digital technology in promoting Brunei tourism and offering more convenience to tourists, such as making use of digital marketing through social media and a pilot project for a mobile phone app that provide more information in different languages.
