The Ministry of Primary Resource and Tourism (MPRT) has lined up a series of activities to grow the tourism industry, said Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin during the 20th session of the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting yesterday.
Among the initiatives are the ‘Kenali Negara Kitani’ (KNK) programme to raise awareness on local tourism products and the Brunei December Festival (BDF).
Some 53 programmes were organised in 2023, ranging from Islamic events to culinary and shopping festivals.
The minister said the BDF saw the participation from 31 hotels and accommodation providers, 51 travel agents and 28 restaurants. The festival also featured a Local Product Expo to encourage local spending during the end-of-year school holiday season.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf also shared the positive impact of the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2023 (Brunei MYCE 2023).
The Brunei Gastronomy Week, introduced in 2016 and rebranded as Brunei Gastronomy Festival (BGF) this year, began on February 23 in conjunction with the 40th National Day celebration, he said, adding that the month-long festival is attracting participation of over 30 restaurants.
To strengthen tourism promotion in the international market, the MPRT has also implemented several initiatives, including collaboration with online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, Trip Advisor and Agoda as well as international social media influencers.
The minister said there are 48 registered and licensed travel agents under the Tourism Development Department, with 10 actively engaged in inbound tourism activities.
The ministry is encouraging other travel agents to be more proactive in implementing inbound tourism activities to contribute to the Brunei economy and balance the outflow of the country’s currency.
To assist travel agents, the department is developing an online directory for tourist attractions, tourist service providers (TSPs), accommodation, and food and beverage establishments.
Meanwhile, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim suggested ways to promote tourism, such as forging alliances with foreign entities and hosting international events such as marathons.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf agreed with the idea of alliances and shared that there are ongoing discussions with Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia to develop medical, Islamic and education tourism.
However, he said there are challenges of low tourist arrival numbers compared to neigbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Suyoi bin Haji Osman queried the limited budget for tourism. The minister said the priority is on the youth, though there are efforts to strengthen the tourism industry, particularly in attracting international students to Brunei’s education tourism.
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf added that Brunei being safe and clean has been highlighted to attract students from Singapore, Japan, South Korea and other countries.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad said Brunei’s culture and way of life are unique selling points in attracting foreign visitors, in response to LegCo member Yang Berhormat Dr Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin’s query on plans to improve and expand tourist attractions in the Sultanate.
The minister added that Brunei is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with neighbouring countries, and several ministries are working together to promote the local culture through exchanges, while noting that students studying abroad are also promoting the Bruneian culture in the countries where they are pursuing further studies. – Rokiah Mahmud, Adib Noor & Fadley Faisal
