BRUNEI

Investvine-Apr 8

Brunei recorded an 18.3-per cent increase in tourist arrivals in 2017, exceeding the projected ten per cent growth set for last year, the country’s Tourism Development Department said in a statement on April 7. The data, however. only counts arrivals through Brunei’s international airport in Bandar Seri Begawan.

A total of 258,955 visitors arrived through the airport in 2017, an increase from 218,809 tourists in 2016 and the highest number since 2011. The statistics did not include a report on the amount of tourism receipts.

Malaysia was the top contributor to the arrivals due to its easy air accessibility and proximity with a 23.2 per cent share, followed by China with 20.2 per cent; the Philippines with 8.9 percent, Indonesia with 8.7 per cent and Singapore at 5.8 per cent. Australia and New Zealand both contributed a 3.9 per cent market share, while the long haul market — arrivals from Europe and Middle East — represented a 10.9 per cent share.

South Korea was one of the fastest growing source markets, with an increase of 145.1 per cent year-on-year from 3,551 arrivals in 2016 to 8,705 arrivals last year.

International tourists stayed an average of 2.2 days in Brunei last year, unchanged from the previous year.

Over the last three years, tourist arrival growth in Brunei has showed an upward trend, contributing to the development of the country’s tourism industry.     This is in part due to the high travel demand from the main market and improved air connectivity from Royal Brunei Airlines, AirAsia and China’s Lucky Air through the introduction of new services for tourists from South Korea and China as well as the introduction of “visa on arrival” to citizens from China.

In addition to arrivals by air, there was a total of 4,057,029 entries into Brunei via land and sea, but many of those likely not for tourism purposes but for business and work, mostly from Malaysia and Indonesia.

For the year 2018, Brunei’s tourism department is setting its target of 278,000 tourists arrival by air, a conservative 7.3-per cent growth estimation.