ASEAN Tourism Forum

This January over 800 delegates and 161 buyers attend the 39th ATF. SellingTravel was the only UK trade magazine to attend

Eco and community tourism was high on the agenda amongst the destinations exhibiting at ATF, not least the host country Brunei.

The Borneo nation is looking to build on its 7.4% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers by pushing nature and eco tourism this year.

The Brunei Tourism and Development Department has developed numerous tours and excursions fitting with this theme, ranging from river cruises looking out for the proboscis monkeys, to walking trails and cottage industry tours.

Brunei is home to over 673 species of birds, 53 of them endemic to Borneo, and is pitching itself as the next destination for birdwatchers.

Also currently proving popular with international crowds is diving around Brunei’s numerous shipwrecks. As diving is relatively new in Brunei, it doesn’t get the crowds found in more established locations around the region.

This year will see the opening of the country’s first ever luxury eco resort in Temburong. It will encompass 30 chaletstyle villa units built over a 20,000 squaremetre area and will feature a fine dining restaurant and spa, swimming pool and outdoor recreational facilities including zip-lining.

Community Tourism is the big trend in neighbouring Sabah, a Malaysian state also part of Borneo

Zarinah HJ Amiludin, Marketing Manager for its tourism board said home stays, in particular, are proving popular with international guests and can easily be booked by UK agents: “They are becoming so popular that we put on a communitybased tourism fair every summer.”

For agents wanting to learn more, there is a live chat on Twitter (@sabahtourism, #sabahchats.) every Friday.

The UK is Brunei's 6th biggest market