Answer for Oral Question PL224

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF asks YANG BERHORMAT Menteri Sumber-Sumber Utama dan Pelancongan to state what are the Ministry's approaches and strategies in the MPRT Strategic Plan 2023-2029 to address issues and challenges as well as enhance the tourism industry in generating the country's socio-economy? Given that the Economic Blueprint places tourism among the main sectors to strengthen the country's economy, yet the ASEAN Tourism 2024 statistics show that Brunei received the lowest number of visitors in 2023.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Sumber-Sumber Utama dan Pelancongan

The Ministry is committed to supporting efforts towards realising Wawasan Brunei 2035, namely Vision Goal 3, to make the Nation a country with a "dynamic and resilient economy", particularly through efforts towards supporting the Food Industry Roadmap and the Tourism Industry Roadmap, whereby the food sector and the tourism sector are among the sectors identified in the Economic Blueprint Brunei Darussalam as having the potential to contribute towards enhancing the country's economy, apart from the downstream oil & gas industry, services and ICT sectors.

The year 2023 was still a recovery phase (post-COVID) in which Brunei only recorded 149,000 tourist arrivals by air and sea. In 2024, there was an increase to almost 290,000 total tourists by air and sea and more than 380,000 tourists entering by land. In the first half of 2025, tourist arrivals by air, land, and sea recorded almost 400 thousand people, an increase of 33% compared to almost 300 thousand people in the same period in 2024. Tourism revenue also increased by 12% to 172 million Brunei dollars compared to 153 million Brunei dollars in the previous year. This shows that not only has the number of tourists increased, but the quality of visitors in terms of spending, length of stay and interest in local tourism products has also grown.

This trend reflects the effectiveness of the Ministry's strategic approach in strengthening promotion, upgrading products, and expanding access to Brunei's tourism market in phases.

Through the Brunei Darussalam Tourism Industry Roadmap, the Ministry has formulated an integrated approach based on four main pillars:

First, Product Development and Marketing. The Ministry encourages new investment, upgrades existing tourism products, and leverages digital channels as well as collaboration with influencers and online travel agencies. Events such as tourism expos, fam trips and international sporting events also contribute to the increase in visitors.

In addition, the organisation of events such as conferences, meetings and sporting events including karate, wushu, and marathon runs is gaining increasing response and has contributed to the increase in international tourist arrivals by air and land.

Second, Human Resource Development. Structured training and professional certification are provided not only for local tourism operators but also for workers in the tourism industry including tour guides, to ensure high and sustainable service standards. Workshops and regular training are also conducted to build a highly skilled workforce.

Third, Infrastructure Improvement. With RKN support, various projects are being and will be implemented - among them the construction of a new marina at Pantai Serasa, the construction of a jetty to support the development of visits to the Brunei Technology Museum in Kota Batu and the Kota Batu Archaeological Site, upgrading the Pekan Tutong jetty in Tutong District, upgrading the tourism gallery in Kg Ayer, as well as the development of Pantai Tanjung Batu as one of the destinations for cruise tourists. PPP projects are also being pursued to provide specific infrastructure such as resort and restaurant facilities in order to support tourism advancement.

Fourth, Connectivity and Accessibility. Close cooperation is being carried out with Yang Berhormat Menteri Pengangkutan dan Infokomunikasi, Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Luar Negeri II, airlines and travel agents to expand reach, facilitate visa applications and the entry of foreign tourists into this country, and improve the public transport system as well as cruise ports.

The Ministry also emphasises inclusive and sustainable tourism - involving the participation of youth and communities, while supporting the sustainability and gender inclusivity agenda. Visa exemption facilities for countries such as China are also showing results, with a significant increase from that market.

God willing, these efforts will continue to elevate tourism as a new, resilient and inclusive economic driver, and make Brunei a unique and favoured destination in the region.