Tourism in Brunei is governed by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, which is planning to diversify Brunei's tourism to include adventure tourism, ecotourism and Islamic tourism. [1] [2]
Tourism in Brunei is governed by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, which is planning to diversify Brunei's tourism to include adventure tourism, ecotourism and Islamic tourism. [1] [2]
The Brunei dollar is one of strongest currencies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, a factor discouraging tourists in the region from visiting Brunei. [3] One Brunei dollar is equal to around 10,740 Indonesian rupiah, 3.10 Malaysian ringgit, 36.2 Philippine peso and 23.6 Thai baht. According to some travel agencies, because of Brunei's strong currency tour packages are expensive compared with those of other countries in the region; local tourists prefer other ASEAN countries, although tourists from outside the ASEAN prefer Brunei. [3] [4] In 2014, 95 percent of foreign tourists arrived in Brunei by land; four percent arrived by air, and one percent by sea. [5]
Source: Tourism Development Department, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism; Immigration and Registration Department, Ministry of Home Affairs; and Brunei shipping agencies. [6]
Arrivals
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 4,013,325 | 4,046,143 | 4,224,440 | 4,100,635 | 1,006,763 | 106,848 |
| Air | 218,809 | 258,955 | 278,136 | 333,244 | 62,325 | 3,543 |
| Sea | 25,055 | 10,886 | 18,760 | 15,149 | 1,526 | 0 |
| Total | 4,257,189 | 4,315,984 | 4,521,336 | 4,449,028 | 1,070,614 | 110,391 |
| Growth (year-on-year) | +4.9% | +1.4% | +4.8% | -1.6% | -75.9% | -89.7% |
Note: The number of arrivals for 2020 and 2021 decreased due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. All land and sea borders were closed starting from March 2020 with the exception of 'essential travelers' who were allowed entry mainly for the purpose of official visits, family, education, businesses and employment. The borders reopened on 1 August 2022 and arrivals are expected to increase again. [7]
Registered Travel Agents
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of travel agents | 60 | 65 | 57 | 57 | 53 | 45 |
Tourist Receipts
| 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount ($BND) | $20.8 millions | $1.3 millions |
The Brunei government budgeted $300,000 for tourism in 2015, and provisions for tourism were also made in the country's National Development Plan (RKN). [8] Brunei is seeking foreign direct investment in tourism and collaboration with a number of agencies. [5]
The Tutong Destination Programme is a pilot project to increase tourism in Tutong District, a major tourist destination in the country. The programme, created by the district government in collaboration with travel agencies and the NGOs, began in 2013. More than 2,000 tourists have visited Tutong (which has more than 30 potential tourist destinations) since the project was introduced. [9] [10] The district was visited by 50 delegates from the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). [11]
Birdwatching is one aspect of nature tourism identified in the Brunei Tourism Masterplan. In 2015, a three-day birdwatching workshop was sponsored by the Tourism Development Department of Brunei in collaboration with Sunshine Borneo Tours and Travel, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the Birding Conservation Council (BCC) and volunteers from the Brunei Birders Group. [12]
 | This section contains instructions, advice, or how-to content .(March 2018) |
Islam is the state religion of Brunei, and tourists should observe Islamic etiquette. Women should dress modestly in conservative and rural areas. During the month of Ramadan, visitors are not permitted to drink or eat during the day in public areas. Most major tourist attractions in Brunei are Islamic mosques. Foreign, non-Muslim tourists in proper attire may enter mosques; women should cover their head, shoulders and knees. Although the sale of alcohol is prohibited in Brunei, non-Muslims over age 17 may bring two bottles of liquor or wine and 12 cans of beer into the country; 48 hours must elapse between each importation. [13] [14] [15]
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Brunei is noted for ecotourism and cultural, heritage and Islamic tourism.
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2023, the country had a population of 455,858, of whom approximately 180,000 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 percent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Brunei–Muara District or simply known as Brunei–Muara, is the smallest as well as the most populated district in Brunei. It has an area of 571 square kilometres (220 sq mi) and the population of 318,530 as of 2021. The district is also home to its administrative centre is Bandar Seri Begawan, as well as the Brunei International Airport and Muara Port, the country's only international airport and deep-water port respectively. The Brunei River flows within this district and is home to Kampong Ayer. As the administrative center of Brunei is located in the district, it remains the most developed in the country with the most up-to-date infrastructure, despite not being the center of Brunei's main economic activity.
Tutong District or simply known as Tutong, is the third largest and populated district in Brunei. It has an area of 1,166 square kilometres (450 sq mi) and the population of 47,210 as of 2021. The district is also home to its administrative centre is Tutong Town, as well as the Tutong River and Tasek Merimbun, the country's second longest river and the only ASEAN Heritage Parks in Brunei respectively.
Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Hassanal Bolkiah is the eldest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha. He is the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam, and is first in the line of succession to the Bruneian throne. He is expected to eventually lead the state and government, and is regarded as the second most significant figure in the political hierarchy.
Tutong Town or simply known as Tutong, is a municipality town in Mukim Pekan Tutong Tutong District, Brunei. It is located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. It is the administrative centre of Tutong District.
The Temburong River is a river in Brunei. It is the second smallest of the four main rivers in the country and drains a catchment area of around 840 square kilometres. Temburong District, through which it flows, is one of the four districts of Brunei. It lies in the east and is sparsely populated.
The Brunei Premier League is the second tier of the football pyramid of Brunei. It was Brunei's top-tier football league until 2012, when the Brunei Super League was created. The Premier League falls under the management of the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam.
Mukim Labu is a mukim in Temburong District, Brunei. It has an area of 292 square kilometres (113 sq mi); the population was 508 in 2021.
Kampong Jerudong is a village in Mukim Sengkurong, Brunei–Muara District, Brunei, about 21 kilometres (13 mi) from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population was 3,856 in 2016. It is one of the settlements within Mukim Sengkurong. It is of historical interest as it is considered the starting point for the Kedayan community and where they first introduced rice cultivation. There are various stories about the origins of the Kedayan people, with some suggesting they came from Java. According to one account, Sultan Bolkiah brought the Kedayan to teach rice cultivation to his people, and they first settled in Kampong Pasir, Jerudong.
The Tutong language, also known as Basa Tutong, is a language spoken by approximately 17,000 people in Brunei. It is the main language of the Tutong people, the majority ethnic group in the Tutong District of Brunei.
Protected areas of Brunei are established by the Government of Brunei, in accordance with national development objectives and global biogeoecological strategies in which forests play an important role. The country's marine protected areas remained at 0.2% in 2022. As of 2011, nearly half of Brunei Darussalam is still primary forest, however this coverage is dwindling and only 17% of the country is officially protected.
Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council; Malay: Majlis Sukan Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, commonly abbreviated MS ABDB, is the multi-sport club in charge of all sporting activities of all service branches of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.
Transport in Brunei consists of air, land, and sea transport. Previously there was some rail transport in Brunei, but eventually most of it was closed down. Several public and commercial sector organizations are in charge of creating and overseeing these networks and infrastructures. The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) is in charge of overseeing the maritime and aviation industries, as well as planning and regulating all kinds of land transportation.
Kampong Kiudang or simply known as Kiudang, is a village in Tutong District, Brunei, about 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the district town Pekan Tutong. The population was 1,258 in 2016.
Municipalities in Brunei are settlements which have been incorporated by the government to run as municipalities. They are independent from the hierarchy of the country's subdivisions but nevertheless overlap with mukims and villages, the second- and third-level administrative divisions of Brunei. The governing body of a municipality is municipal department which is a government department under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the head is a chairman which is equivalent to mayor.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus spread to Brunei on 9 March 2020, when its first case was confirmed in Tutong. Many early cases were linked to Jamek Mosque Sri Petaling in Kuala Lumpur, which held a large Tablighi Jamaat ijtema event at the end of February 2020. Of Brunei's first 50 cases, 45 were related to Jamek Mosque. The pandemic had spread to all districts of Brunei. As of January 4, 2023, there have been over 260,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Brunei, resulting in 225 fatalities.
Pengiran Hajah Nooriyah binti Pengiran Haji Yussof is a Bruneian diplomat who became the incumbent ambassador to South Korea since 2019, and the former head of mission at the Consulate General of Brunei in Kota Kinabalu. She is also among the Honorary Ambassador Members of the Asia Society Korea.
Othman bin Uking is a Bruneian aristocrat, civil servant and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council (LegCo) from 2011 to 2015. Additionally, he has served as the head of PESAKA and advisor to PESATU.
Brunei travel guide from Wikivoyage