BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Saturday (June 6) announced the appointment of two international tourism marketing representatives in South Korea and Japan to mark a strategic step in strengthening Brunei Darussalam’s destination marketing and trade engagement in East Asia.
Under this appointment, TAMS Inc has been engaged as Brunei Tourism’s Marketing Representative for South Korea, while World Compass Co Ltd has been appointed for Japan.
Both representatives will support Brunei Tourism’s long-term strategy to strengthen visibility, increase market penetration and enhance collaboration with travel trade stakeholders.
The appointments will run until 2029, ensuring sustained in-market support over the next three years.
In 2025, South Korea recorded 7,914 air arrivals and Japan with 13,200, with both markets remaining important East Asian sources, reflecting steady travel demand and strong growth potential.
The initiative aims to position Brunei Darussalam as a distinctive destination offering authentic and immersive travel experiences, including nature-based tourism, cultural heritage exploration, and niche segments such as diving, birdwatching and nature-oriented travel.
These offerings align with the department’s strategy to diversify its market appeal and strengthen product positioning.
The effort also supports the momentum towards Visit Brunei Year 2027, with increased focus on raising destination awareness, enhancing visibility of tourism products and driving stronger interest from South Korea and Japan.
The appointed representatives will play an important role in providing on-the-ground insights into evolving tourism trends, traveller preferences, and distribution dynamics, particularly with the continued shift towards Free Independent Travellers (FITs) and the growing influence of social media in travel decision-making.
Their engagement is expected to strengthen Brunei’s visibility on Korean and Japanese digital and social media platforms, while enhancing destination awareness and market reach in both countries.
The partnerships are intended to strengthen engagement with travel agents, tour operators, media, and wider industry stakeholders in both markets.
This includes supporting coordinated trade activities, destination promotions, familiarisation (FAM) trips, and participation in relevant tourism events and campaigns, all aimed at increasing Brunei’s visibility and strengthening commercial opportunities for inbound travel.
This initiative forms part of the department’s broader strategy to expand its international marketing reach through structured in-market representation and strategic partnerships.
It also ensures more consistent and competitive destination messaging, while strengthening Brunei’s positioning as a unique destination offering authenticity, sustainability and meaningful travel experiences. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
