AJC To Promote Brunei To Japanese
By Kartika Rahman & Aemy Azlena

Bandar Seri Begawan - In recognising Japan as an enormous prospect to draw tourists from, stakeholders in the Brunei Darussalam tourism industry gained strategic insight in utilising the Japanese tourism market through two Japanese consultants invited by the Asean-Japan Centre (AJC) For the Seminar on BIMP-EAGA Tourism Promotion 'Equator Asia'.

As the equator runs horizontally' in the middle of BIMP-EAGA. the name 'Equator Asia' could become synonymous with BIMP-EAGA if it is thoroughly promoted. The word 'equator' is deemed exotic for Japanese, as it carries an image of natural sceneries and a tropical regional climate. Branding the area with such a name therefore has marketing advantages.

On the final day of the seminar yesterday, Mr Kobayashi led the first session with a presentation on -Four Product Analysis'.

"To attract international tourists with eco-tourism, the local features must have authenticity," he said. "An authentic experience is necessarily unique."

He added that for an eco-tourism region that recognises local identity, development involves the cooperative efforts of local people and the community, government administrative organisations, travel agents, academics and researchers as well as travellers,

Mr Sakakibara then took the final leg of the seminar on 'Market Approach:. After having identified that BIMP-EAGA has abundant tourism resources, he put the accent on establishing a brand.

"The establishment of a brand is vital in creating awareness and the recognition of this Asean sub region as a travel destination in the market place," said Mr Sakakibara.

"Furthermore, a master plan of cooperative marketing projects should be designed and shared by all stakeholders. It should also be constantly reviewed to respond to changes that occur in the market."

Recommended actions put forward by the consultants include extensive marketing efforts extending from promotion to development of on-site tours and sales seminars, cultivation of human resources through training professional coordinators for regional tourism development, establishment of an institution for short-term in-market study trips, and educational seminars on guiding techniques.

Royal Brunei Airlines, whose representatives attended the seminar, revealed that direct flights between Japan and Brunei Darussalam are in the pipeline for 2008.

Meanwhile the Director of Tourism Department at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, encouraged members of the local tourism industry to extend courtesy towards tourists and expressed eagerness in working with Japanese counterparts.

Mohd Daud Abdullah, the managing director of a local tour operator, said the seminar had inspired him to reassess and redevelop his marketing efforts.

"We know that Japanese tourists constitute a big market, but our previous efforts were not as successful as they could be. As a result of this seminar I now know what to do for the Japanese market," he said.

"Japanese tourists want eco-tourism, they want eco-culture, which are already Brunei's assets. My next efforts will be to revise my marketing tools for the Japanese market, reschedule tours and re-instruct guides, whilst at the same time modifying and adding more to my marketing strategy to fully satisfy the market." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with