HRH CROWN PRINCE OFFICIATES THE LAUNCH
OF THE ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2010
Brunei, 25 January 2010 – TONIGHT,
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee
Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior
Minister at the Prime Minister's Office,
Brunei Darussalam
launched the 29th ASEAN Tourism Forum
(ATF) at the Grand Hall, Empire Hotel
and Country Club.
His Royal Highness was welcomed upon
arrival by His Excellency Pehin Haji
Yahya, the Minister of Industry and
Primary Resources, the Chairman of the
Host ATF Committee and led His Royal
Highness for a group photo with the
ASEAN Tourism Ministers + 3 + 2 inside
the entrance of the Grand Hall.
The evenings function began with a
welcoming remarks to the 1,200 delegates
of the ATF and TRAVEX followed by a
symbolic watering of a tree (agathis) to
launch the ATF 2010 which is themed
‘ASEAN, The Heart of Green, 10
Destination, 1 Conservation Vision’.
The entertainment included performances
from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and
Sports, showcasing Brunei Darussalams
traditional cultural performances and
green themed performances by the local
school children.
Tomorrow at the BRIDEX Center, the ASEAN
Tourism Conference will commence from
9:00 am to 12 noon.
SEMBAH ALU-ALUAN DARI
YANG BERHORMAT
PEHIN ORANG KAYA SERI
UTAMA DATO SERI SETIA HAJI AWANG YAHYA
BIN BEGAWAN MUDIM DATO PADUKA HAJI BAKAR,
MENTERI PERINDUSTRIAN DAN
SUMBER-SUMBER UTAMA
SEMPENA
"MAJLIS PEMBUKAAN FORUM
PELANCONGAN ASEAN 2010”
Tarikh: Hari Isnin, 25hb. Januari 2010
Tempat: The Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel
& Country Club
BISMILLAHIR RAHMANNIR RAHIM
Mengadap Kehadapan Majlis Duli Yang
Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda
Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee
Billah lbni Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia
Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal
Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Menteri
Kanan di Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Beribu Ampun,
Terlebih dahulu, hamba Duli Tuanku bagi
mewakili ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa Forum
Pelancongan ASEAN 2010 (ATF 2010), Mesyuarat
Menteri-Menteri Pelancongan ASEAN Kali
Ke 13 dan Mesyuarat Menteri-Menteri
Pelancongan ASEAN bersama Republik
Rakyat China, Jepun, Republik Korea dan
India, berserta Mesyuarat-Mesyuarat di
peringkat pegawai-pegawai Kanan
pelancongan ASEAN (NTOs) kali ke 31
menyembahkan ucapan setinggi-tinggi
menjunjung kasih di atas keberangkatan
Duli Tuanku bercemar duli ke Majlis ini
dan seterusnya merasmikan pembukaan
Forum Pelancongan ASEAN 2010.
Keberangkatan Duli Tuanku ke Majlis ini
akan menjadi dorongan serta panduan
kepada abis hamba
Duli
Tuanku.
Sebelum meneruskan ucapan hamba Duli
Tuanku ini dalam bahasa lnggeris, hamba
Duli Tuanku menjunjung sabda perkenan
Duli Tuanku bagi hamba Duli Tuanku
menyampaikan sepatah dua kata kepada
para perwakilan di Mesyuarat ini.
Excellencies Ministers, Excellencies
Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and
Gentlemen
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi
Wabarakatuh
and a warm evening
As Chairman of the ATF 2010 organising
committee, I would like to express my
sincere gratitude for your presence
tonight. I know some of you will be in
Brunei Darussalam for the very first
time, while others may have been here
before. I would like to extend my
welcome to my ASEAN counterparts and
their delegations. Welcome also to the
Ministers from China, Japan, Korea and
India along with their delegations.
We are very proud to be given the
opportunity to host this very important
event in ASEAN'S tourism calendar
that usually occurs every January of the
year.
SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN
THE BIMP-EAGA COOPERATION
TOURISM MINISTERS LAUNCH
HISTORIC EQUATOR ASIA BRAND & LOGO
25th
January 2010, Brunei Darussalam
Tourism Ministers of Brunei Darussalam,
Indonesia, Malaysia & the Philippines (BIMP)
namely Hon. Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama
Dato Seri Setia Hj Awg Yahya bin
Begawan, Hon. Jero Wacik, Hon. Dato Dr
Ng Yen Yen and Hon. Oscar Palabyab
representing the BIMP-EAGA gathered in
Brunei Darussalam today for the historic
launching of the “EQUATOR ASIA” brand
and logo as a ‘single tourism
destination’, hailed as the world’s most
biologically productive regions.
Mr Wee Hong
Seng from the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council
quoted the brand EQUATOR ASIA which
claims to be mother earth’s true center
of Biodiversity, carries as its brand
position the “HEART OF BIODIVERSITY”.
He said ‘imagine we are living in a
place where the wellspring of life is,
surrounded by the majestic diversity of
flora, fauna and cultures’
EQUATOR ASIA is located along the
equator covering the BIMP East ASEAN
Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). BIMP-EAGA was
formally launched in 1994 and is a
cooperation initiative involving
bordering regions in four ASEAN
countries, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia
(the islands of Kalimantan, Sulawesi,
Papua and Moluccas), Malaysia (the State
of Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan) and the
Philippines (the islands of Mindanao and
Palawan). The cooperation aims to
accelerate economic development by
increasing trade, investment and tourism
from within and outside the
sub-regions.
According to several authoritative
independent studies, EQUATOR ASIA is the
world’s most biologically productive and
diverse ecosystem - in terms of major
terrestrial habitat type as home to the
world’s largest tropical and
sub-tropical moist broadleaf forest and
marine eco-region. Diversity is found in
species richness, endemism, higher
taxonomic uniqueness, presence of
extraordinary ecological or evolutionary
phenomena and global rarity of the major
habitat type. More than half of the
world’s richest flora and fauna are
found there. One of the three remaining
lowland forests is located there in New
Guinea. The well known coral triangle is
the largest tropical coral reef in the
world is located there. Because of its
richness, biodiversity is expected to
flourish despite poor conservation
status and the growing rate of climate
change.
The BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council pointed to
the sea vents “black smokers” at the
bottom of the sea that carry the rich
minerals from under the earth’s core as
the building blocks of marine life. The
richest concentration of underwater
minerals from the earth’s core can be
found at the center of the world’s
largest cluster of archipelagos. It is
surrounded by the “Ring of Fire” in
South East Asia along the Equator. It
is cradled by the deepest trenches in
the ocean. This is the life support of
the most basic forms of life like the
planktons and marine algae.
BIMP-EAGA stakeholders are pleased with
the outcome of the brand because it took
a lot of time, effort and resources from
all the stakeholders to unite and
develop this brand. We are grateful to
the German Development Cooperation (GTZ)
and the Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for
their continued support.
Dr. Peter Richter, Principal
Advisor/Project Manager of the GTZ
BIMP-EAGA project stressed that the
EQUATOR ASIA Brand will be a boon to
those advocating world conservation. He
said that the brand will usher an era of
world cooperation where the stakeholders
of these four countries will work with
its indigenous communities so they can
play a more active role in conserving
the wealth of their biodiversity while
improving their livelihood through
community based eco-tourism related
activities. He said, cooperation from
the rest of the world is will be valued
given the growing trend in responsible
tourism where more and more traditional
tourists are discovering that they can
have a more fulfilling and meaningful
vacation while contributing to
conservation when they visit and support
community based eco-tourism.
He said that the ASEAN Japan Centre (AJC)
actually began patronizing EQUATOR ASIA
a few years back when they commissioned
a study of its potential as a tourist
destination. In fact, they fondly and
literally called it “Equatorial Asia”.
He urged tourists to visit Equator Asia
adding that apart from giving their
share in worldwide efforts to preserve
global ecological heritage, they not
only get to experience the full splendor
of Biodiversity, but they also
experience the magical diversity of the
Indo-Malay race.
From now on, EQUATOR ASIA will be known
as earth’s HEART OF BIODIVERSITY.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY THE
HONORABLE
PEHIN DATO YAHYA,
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(Tourism Ministerial
Meeting + China, Japan and Korea)
VENUE: Indera Kayangan Ballroom, Empire
Hotel and Country Club
DATE: Monday, 25/1/2010
Good
morning Your Excellencies.
I would like to welcome all of you
officially to Brunei Darussalam. I hope
you have a pleasant stay in Brunei
Darussalam and I am sure we all are
looking forward to satisfactory
conclusion to our meeting today.
The year 2008 and 2009 were full of
challenges for all of us. Now that the
threat of global financial crisis is
somewhat behind us, we can expect 2010
to be a much better year for global
tourism activities. This however has
been endorsed by UNWTO on their latest
report on world tourism trend that 2010
shall be a positive growth year for
world tourism, especially in our region.
China, Japan and South Korea are very
important markets for us here in
Southeast Asia and we welcome very much
the support and good relations we have
between our countries. I am positive
together we can contribute more
effectively to the tourism growth for
our regions.
I like to conclude here for my opening
remark and wish once again to all of you
a pleasant stay in Brunei Darussalam. I
would like to take this opportunity to
welcome all of you to the Opening
Ceremony that will be held tomorrow
night right here at The Empire Hotel and
Country Club new Grand Hall.
Thank you very much.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY THE
HONORABLE
PEHIN DATO YAHYA,
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(Tourism Ministerial
Meeting + India)
VENUE: Indera Kayangan Ballroom, Empire
Hotel and Country Club
DATE: Monday, 25/1/2010
Good morning Your Excellency.
I would like to welcome you officially to
Brunei Darussalam. I hope you have a
pleasant stay in Brunei Darussalam and I
am sure we all are looking forward to
satisfactory conclusion to our meeting
today.
The year 2008 and 2009 were full of
challenges for all of us. Now that the
threat of global financial crisis is
somewhat behind us, we can expect 2010
to be a much better year for global
tourism activities. This however has
been endorsed by UNWTO on their latest
report on world tourism trend that 2010
shall be a positive growth year for
world tourism, especially in our
region.
India is definitely one of the most
important markets for us here in
Southeast Asia. We look forward to
continuing our excellent relationship
for the mutual benefit of our tourism
industry.
I like to conclude here for my opening
remark and wish once again to all of you
a pleasant stay in Brunei Darussalam. I
would like to take this opportunity to
welcome Your Excellency and your
delegates to the Opening Ceremony that
will be held tomorrow night right here
at The Empire Hotel and Country Club new
Grand Hall.
Thank you very much.
ASEAN TOURISM MINISTERS
PLANTS TREES FOR A GREENER FUTURE
On Monday 25/01, In order to contribute
to offset the carbon footprint generated
by delegates attending ATF, Brunei
Tourism and Brunei Forestry Department
have come together to arrange for a tree
planting initiative that will see a tree
planted on behalf of every delegate by
local students.
To kick start this initiative that will
see some 1,500 “ATF” trees planted
between now and the World Forestry Day
on 23rd March, a tree
planting ceremony was held at the
Berakas Forest Reserve on 25th
January morning, led by Pehin Orang Kaya
Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji
Yahya the Minister of Industry and
Primary Resources and 16 foreign
ministers, National Tourism Officials (NTO)
and government school students
symbolically planted the first 68 Ru
Laut, or Casuarina equisetifolia trees.
This initiative is very much in line
with this year’s ATF theme “ASEAN, the
Heart of Green”, and highlights the
importance of efforts individuals must
make to reduce the emissions of CO2 into
the atmosphere, as well as that of
efforts such as this tree planting
initiative to contribute to the capture
of CO2, as the planted trees will keep
absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen
throughout their life span…
For delegates to remember their tree
planted in Brunei on the occasion of ATF
2010, a certificate printed on recycled
paper has been inserted in each TRAVEX
delegate’s registration kit.
On top of the tree planting, the
Minister and the foreign ministers are
also scheduled to release 3 olive ridley
and one hawksbill turtle along the
beach, an activity planned by Fisheries
Department officers and staff.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY THE
HONORABLE
PEHIN DATO YAHYA,
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(Tourism Ministerial
Meeting)
VENUE: Indera Kayangan Ballroom, Empire
Hotel and Country Club
DATE: Sunday, 24/1/2010
Good morning Your Excellencies.
I would like to welcome all Brunei
Darussalam. I hope you have a pleasant
stay in Brunei Darussalam and I am sure
we all are looking forward to
satisfactory conclusion to our meeting
today.
The year 2008 and 2009 were full of
challenges for all of us. Now that the
threat of global financial crisis is
somewhat behind us, we can expect 2010
to be a much better year for global
tourism activities. This however has
been endorsed by UNWTO on their latest
report on world tourism trend that 2010
shall be a positive growth year for
world tourism, especially in our region.
We will have the opportunity to have a look
and discuss on the new Tourism Strategic
Plan (2011-2015) outlined by ACE with
input from our tourism officials. The
Tourism Strategic Plan will then be
implemented next year in Cambodia and I
feel confident that together we can push
forward our tourism ministry to greater
heights.
The new marketing slogan now as I was
informed will be Southeast Asia –
Feel the Warmth. We will then have
the opportunity to have a closer look on
the Tourism Strategic Plan as well as
the Marketing Plan with our private
sector, ASEANTA on the later part
of our agenda.
We will also have the opportunity to look
closely at our tourists’ arrival
figures. Brunei Darussalam saw an
unexpected increase of tourist arrivals
by almost 30% in 2008 compared to 2007.
Our Tourism Department has targeted a 7%
increase in tourist’s arrival for 2009
and 10% increase for 2010. The detail
will be shown later as we move along the
agenda proper.
I am pleased to note we are in the second
year of awarding ASEAN Green Hotel
Award. This is befitting to our current
Tagline for this year’s ATF -
ASEAN-Heart of Green, 10 Destinations,
One conservation Vision.
I like to conclude here for my opening
remark and wish once again to all of you
a pleasant stay in Brunei Darussalam. I
would like to take this opportunity to
welcome all of you to the Opening
Ceremony that will be held tomorrow
night right here at The Empire Hotel and
Country Club new Grand Hall.
Thank you very much.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY THE
HONORABLE
PEHIN DATO YAHYA,
MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
PRIMARY RESOURCES
(NTO Meeting)
VENUE: Indera Kayangan Ballroom, Empire
Hotel and Country Club
DATE: Friday, 22/1/2010
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
I would like to welcome you officially to
The Abode of Peace, Brunei Darussalam,
‘The Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures’ as
well as ‘The Green Heart of Borneo’. I
wish you all have a pleasant stay in
Brunei Darussalam and I hope that you
will find time to visit some of our
unique attractions.
The year 2008 and 2009 were full of
challenges for all of us. Now that the
threat of global financial crisis is
somewhat behind us, we can expect 2010
to be a much better year for global
tourism activities. This view has been
endorsed by UNWTO on their latest report
on world tourism trend that 2010 shall
be a positive growth year for world
tourism, especially in our region.
We are entering into a new phase of our
ASEAN tourism development. The new
strategic plan will need to be
deliberated now and implemented from
2011 onwards. We saw the birth of the
Visit ASEAN Campaign being launched
right here in Brunei Darussalam during
the ATF in 2001, with the tagline
‘Asia’s Perfect 10 Paradise’.
ASEANTA has been supportive of our
collective campaign in promoting
Southeast Asia as a single destination
with the introduction of Single Air Pass
and Hotel Pass promoting more than one
destination in ASEAN.
We look for your continuing effort to work
together in the formulation of our new
Strategic Plan as well as the new
Marketing Plan that carries the tagline,
‘Southeast Asia: Feel the Warmth’.
We look for your continuing effort in
maintaining the high standards that is
required for our human capacity and to
create seamless intra-ASEAN travel that
will stimulate greater growth in our
tourism industry.
We must also not lose focus in maximizing
the existing relationships we have with
China, Japan, Korea, India and Russia in
the formulation of our tourism strategy.
We must always work to project the image
that Southeast Asia can be the choice of
destination for world travellers.
With the economic landscape looking
brighter from here on, we can only hope
and pray that mother nature do not cause
us further interruptions in our tourism
drive. With that I shall leave all of
you to deliberate in the next couple of
days and we look forward to your
recommendations and notifications.
I like to conclude here for my opening
remark and wish once again to all of you
a pleasant stay in Brunei Darussalam. I
would like to take this opportunity to
welcome you all to the Opening Ceremony
that will be held here at The Empire
Hotel and Country Club new Grand Hall on
25 January 2010.
Thank you very much.
Sold-out ATF 2010 TRAVEX
advocates eco-tourism
Eco-tourism experts to share insight
on sustainable tourism at ASEAN Tourism
Conference
Brunei, 10 December 2009 – The 29th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), the region’s
foremost tourism and travel event, to be
hosted by member-nation, Brunei
Darussalam, in Bandar Seri Begawan from
21 to 28 January 2010, has registered
overwhelming response from more than 300
exhibiting organisations at TRAVEX
(Travel Exchange). All 373 exhibiting
booths have been snapped up and the ten
member-nations are well represented at
the annual event which showcases the
best of travel products and services in
ASEAN. Thailand and Malaysia lead the
pack with the largest number of
participating organisations.
Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, CEO
of Brunei Tourism, ATF 2010 Host
Committee, said, “As the global economy
is already showing strong signs of
recovery, this is an opportune time for
sellers to capitalise on suitable
platforms available to reignite
interests and develop businesses. The
sell-out reinforces ATF as a great
vehicle for networking and trade for the
ASEAN tourism industry.”
Among the strong expected turn-out of
more than 1,400 delegates, some
400 buyers from Asia-Pacific (57 per
cent), Europe (33 per cent) and the rest
of the world will congregate in Brunei
Darussalam, conducting business and
gaining networking opportunities at the
three-day TRAVEX event from 26 to 28
January at the new BRIDEX (Brunei
International Defence Exhibition) Centre
in Jerudong. Apart from TRAVEX,
delegates will also get to explore the
unexpected treasures of Brunei and
Borneo through the pre-show city
tours and post-show tours jointly
organised by Brunei Tourism, Sabah
Tourism and Sarawak Tourism, which
include visits to historic sites and
cultural landmarks, spa treats, as well
as exciting nature and scenic tours
across Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak
in Malaysia.
Driven by the theme, ASEAN – The
Heart of Green, another highlight of ATF
2010 is the ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC)
on 26 January, which will feature a
keynote address by acclaimed authority
on eco-tourism – Hitesh Mehta – on how
the region can embrace sustainable
development principles and encourage
responsible travel behaviour that will
help conserve the environment and
bio-diversity, as well as sustain the
well-being of the local people.
Mehta’s vast experience in
sustainable landscape and architectural
design projects, eco-lodge and
eco-resort design, environmental and
protected area planning across
continents, has earned him the
reputation of being one of
the world’s foremost leading authorities
on eco-tourism.
Currently an adjunct professor at the
Florida Atlantic University in the US,
Mehta runs his own landscape
architecture and planning firm – HM
Design – with ongoing projects in Costa
Rica, Indonesia, Panama and Dominica and
the West Indies. From 1997 to 2006, he
held the position of Vice-President and
Head of the Ecotourism and Environmental
Planning Market Sector at EDSA
(Florida), the world’s largest landscape
architecture and planning firm, during
which he played an instrumental role in
many key projects, such as the
Eco-tourism Product Implementation
Programme in Kenya and the Vision Plan
for Wailoaloa Ecolodge in Nadi, Fiji.
In addition, a panel discussion will
be chaired by leading industry
professionals, who include Tony
Charters, Principal of Tony Charters and
Associates and Anthony Wong, Group
Managing Director of Asian Overland
Services Tours & Travel Sdn. Bhd,
sharing their experiences on developing
eco-tourism projects in transboundary
conservation areas.
With an increasingly sophisticated
market of travellers, the aptly-themed
event is well poised to meet the demand
for green facilities and fuel greater
awareness of socially responsible
tourism.
GREEN ACTIVITIES LEADING UP TO ASEAN
TOURISM FORUM 2010
Release Date: 9th of January
2010
On Sunday 09/01, Yang Berhormat Pehin
Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia
Awang Haji Yahya Bin Begawan Mudim Dato
Paduka Haji Bakar, Minister of Industry
and Primary Resources, together with
about 200 officials from the Ministry
and departments under the Ministry of
Industry and Primary Resources carried
out an early morning cleaning campaign
at the Berakas Forest Reserve.
The cleaning campaign is one of two
activities organised by the ASEAN
TOURISM FORUM steering committee leading
to the ASEAN TOURISM FORUM 2010, where
the theme for this year event is
‘ASEAN, The Heart of Green, 10
Destinations and one conservation
vision’.
The cleaning campaign started with a
quick aerobic work out session, followed
by the division of the whole team into 2
groups. One group will clean the beach
area at the Forest Reserve while the
other group clean the upper recreational
park area.
Director of Brunei Tourism Development
Department, Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh
Mohamed, remarked that these activities
are actually a follow up to the cleaning
campaign held by the Ministry last year
at the Serasa Beach. These activities
shows the commitment from the Ministry
in leading the way towards changing the
mindset of the people on the importance
of taking care of their surrounding
environment for the betterment of the
country as a whole.
The second ‘GREEN’ activity to be
organised by the Ministry of Industry
and Primary Resources will be held the
following weekend, Sunday, 17th
January 2010, at the same venue, where
the group will carry out jungle trekking
activities.
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