Bandar Seri Begawan - Connectivity within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga) must be improved if the sub-region's recently proposed "Equator Asia" tourism brand is to be a success, an expert here said.

"The idea of marketing Bimp-Eaga as a (sub) region is good, but the main problem right now is the connectivity within - there isn't enough," said Brunei Tourism Board director of marketing and promotions Jean Christophe Robles Espinosa.

"There are airlines flying in between here, Sabah and the Philippines, and there are sea linkages between the two latter destinations, as well as bus routes from here to Pontianak, but there are no flights from here to Sulawesi in the southern part of Borneo, for example.

"No matter how nice the brand might sound, it has everything to do with marketing the product and the fact that customers have to like the product as a whole," Espinosa told The Brunei Times yesterday.

Bimp-Eaga's tourism industry participants who gathered at the 6th joint tourism development cluster meeting in Labuan last month are proposing the label "Equator Asia" as a promotional tool among product sellers in the sub-region for a "strong brand ownership".

The tourism branding is the result of a German Technical Cooperation branding report, known by its German acronym GTZ.

A statement by the Mindanao Economic Development Council said a branding task force would explore alternative taglines to support the main brand and highlight the sub-region's biodiversity as its "brand essence". Marketing and promotions will also focus on the sub-region's Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) tourism.

The Bimp-Eaga's Tourism Council (BETC) reported at the meeting that the brand name has already gained acceptance in previous meetings and at an ecotourism gathering in Indonesia.

During the Japan Association of Travel Agents Fair 2008, in which some BimpEaga tourism players participated, the brand was among those that gained appeal, the tourism council added.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) also confirmed during the meeting that it would provide technical assistance in preparing an ecotourism roadmap, which will become the blueprint for the Community-Based EcoTourism (CBET) development programme and promotion in the sub-region.

In the meeting, the report added, industry stakeholders also agreed to come up with "signature events" that will help package and promote the sub region, particularly as a single destination.

The signature events would include the Asean Tourism Forum 2010, which Brunei Darussalam will host.

The BETC also proposed that Brunei promote a yacht rally in Bimp-Eaga as one of its "signature events" to link all four members. This event would support the existing Borneo International Yachting Challenge. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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