This year’s Asean Tourism Forum (ATF), hosted by Brunei Darussalam, in Bandar Seri Begawan, in January, had as its slogan ‘The Heart of Green – 10 destinations, one conservation vision’.
The annual events is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region as one tourist destination and involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of Asean: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
This year the focus was very much on green or eco-tourism with the keynote address by acclaimed authority Hitesh Mehta on how the region can embrace sustainable development principles and encourage responsible travel as well as helping conserve the environment and bio-diversity at the same time as sustaining the well-being of local people.
There was also a panel discussion featuring leading industry professionals sharing their experiences on developing eco-tourism projects.
All 373 exhibiting booths at the event’s travel exchange were snapped-up well in advance and some 1,400 delegates attended including around 400 buyers, 57 per cent from the Asia-Pacific region and 33 per cent from Europe.
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 re-ignite interest and develop business. The sell-out reinforces ATF as a great vehicle for networking and trade for the Asean tourism industry.”