English: The Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Angela Tanoesodibjo, attended the ASEAN Travel Forum (ATF) at the Empire Hotel, Jerudong, on 12-16 January 2020. The first visit of Angela's Deputy Minister to Brunei was aimed at discussing several ASEAN tourism agendas and encouraging the promotion of Indonesian tourism at Travex, an exhibition of promotion and sale and purchase of tourism packages among tourism industry actors.

In the forum, Vice Minister Angela explained Indonesia's tourism super-priority programs namely Lake Toba, Likupang, Borobudur, Mandalika and Labuan Bajo.

"Regarding the 5 Super Priority Destinations, we will also make tour packages to the Super Priority Destination which will be supported by the ease of interconnectivity through adequate infrastructure and transportation," said Deputy Minister of Tourism Angela Tanoesoedibjo in Brunei Darussalam.

Also emphasized in the forum attended by the Deputy Minister and other tourism ministers were the development of digital travel and attention to sustainable tourism (sustainable tourism) according to the theme of this year's ATF "Together Towards a Next Generation of Travel". The forum also served as a launching platform for the ASEAN integrated tourism site (visitseasia.travel) by Crown Prince Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.

Deputy Minister Angela also visited Indonesia's booth at the Travex Exhibition. Together with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Negara Brunei Darussalam, Dr. Sujatmiko, Wamen Angela greeted TRAVEX visitors at an Indonesian booth designed in a distinctive "Joglo Semar" style, a traditional Javanese house, and tried several exhibition booth activations such as virtual reality, angkringan (in collaboration with Indonesian Chef Association), coffee and herbal medicine (jamu) shops.

Related to the promotion of Indonesian tourism in Brunei, Deputy Minister Angela hopes to not only increase the visit of Bruneians to Indonesia but also foreign tourists in the sultanate. Adding to the Vice Minister's statement at the dinner at Wisma Duta, Ambassador Sujatmiko said that although the number of visits by Brunei tourists was relatively small (18,000 tourists in 2018), the amount of Brunei tourist spending in Indonesia was quite high.

ATF is an annual ASEAN tourism cooperation forum held in rotation by ASEAN countries. The five-day event consisted of a series of meetings between ministers, national travel organizations, as well as exhibitions and business meetings of tourism industry stakeholders.