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Brunei would like to double total arrivals until 2016

Growing from 210,000 to 400,000 tourists in just five years: this is the challenge that Brunei gives to its tourism industry.

BANDAR SRI BEGAWAN – Brunei remains one of ASEAN smallest destination with only 210,000 international travellers arriving by air. Figures could further grow by 15% representing by the end of the year 240,000 visitors arriving by air.

However, the country has ambitions to grow this number by 80 % until 2016 which would eventually translate by 400,000 international arrivals. In an interview released in early June to the Brunei Times, Director of the Brunei Tourism Board Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheik Mohamed recognizes that a lot must still be undertaken to improve the tourism situation in the country.

Meanwhile, opening Brunei to a larger number of travellers must be achieved step by step.  “We have to be careful how we market Brunei and it is important for people to know that Brunei isn’t rushing into tourism. We want to do things right because if you don’t manage it properly, it can be like fire and come back and burn you,” told Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed to local reporters.

Brunei Darussalam is targeting a 15 per cent increase in tourist arrivals this year – and more than 400,000 by 2016 representing US 357 million in revenues. In 2011, the Asean region made up a little more than 50% of Brunei’s tourist arrivals last year  while North Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan) contributed to 17.2 % of all arrivals.

This result would be accomplished with the appointment of marketing and public relations officers as well as joint promotions between Brunei Tourism and Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd on a new product dubbed ‘Brunei, Islamic experience’.

The recently-published World Economic Forum (WEF) report for travel and tourism competitiveness, points out that policy rules and regulation, the prioritization of travel and tourism as an industry and environmental sustainability were lacking support from the Government.  Sheikh Jamaluddin explained to the newspaper that the bad positioning of Brunei in the world tourism arena was comprehensible.

From a marketing point of view, Islam heritage will get more support with travellers visiting the Sultan’s art gallery as well as handicraft centres.

Last January during the Asean Travel Forum, Brunei Tourism presented up to 69 projects to improve tourism performances including strategic marketing review, the launch of special packages as well as developing new attractions. All these projects were identified under the Brunei Tourism Master Plan which runs until 2015. Home stay at villages, diving experience, fishing are some of the activities being now promoted.

Small changes will be needed: a better public transport network as taxis are expensive and not frequent while many hotels stand outside the city centre. Over the last five years, Bandar Sri Begawan became a little bit more animated: in the evenings food stalls and night bazaars were installed along the river and some coffee shops opened until late hours.

With its sixties style architecture, the capital could also become an interesting destination for architect fans but Brunei needs to work out circuits and new communication campaigns to market itself differently. And finally, jungle circuits should be supported by additional lodging –they are a few available- as well as thematic around the nature (museums, research centre on flora and fauna, soft sports infrastructure etc…).

Although Brunei will always be a niche destination, then it might be the place where tourists would enjoy a different style of holidays…

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Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.

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