Sustainable Economy Forum 2025 | Brunei Economy Programme

Overview and Expectations

Sustainable tourism is essential to the long-term success of Brunei Darussalam’s hospitality and tourism sector. In light of growing environmental, social, and economic pressures, it is crucial for stakeholders to embed sustainability into their operations and practices.

This workshop offers a focused platform to examine Brunei’s sustainability landscape, identify key challenges, and co-develop practical strategies. Through structured discussions, participants will exchange insights and generate actionable solutions that support a more resilient and responsible tourism industry.

The Sustainable Economy Forum and Workshop forms part of the Brunei Economy Programme, hosted by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Brunei and APEC Business Advisory Council Brunei, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economy. This workshop is held in partnership with the Tourism Development Department (TDD) under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, reflecting a whole-of-nation approach to advancing green and inclusive growth.

Workshop Objectives and Expected Outcomes

This workshop is designed to:

Strengthen understanding of sustainability principles in tourism
Explore Brunei-specific environmental, socio-cultural, and economic challenges
Encourage cross-sector collaboration among industry stakeholders
Co-develop practical, short-term strategies for implementation
Foster individual commitment to one sustainability action within 30 days

Methodology

The workshop is designed to be interactive and solutions-focused. It will combine tabletop discussions, guided groupwork, and individual reflection to ensure inclusive participation and actionable results.

Key Stakeholders

This workshop convenes a cross-section of stakeholders from Brunei Darussalam’s tourism and hospitality sector, including:

Hotel and resort managers
Tour operators and travel agents
Tourist guides and transport providers
Representatives from government agencies
Professionals involved in tourism development and sustainability

Their collective experience and diverse perspectives will contribute to meaningful dialogue, peer learning, and the co-development of actionable strategies to advance sustainability across the sector.

Agenda

Registration

13:15

13:30

Introduction & Ice Breaker

Welcome and overview of the workshop objectives.

Interactive icebreaker activity.

13:45

Activity 1: Tabletop Discussion – Identifying Challenges and Opportunities

Participants rotate every 8 minutes across six thematic discussion tables:

1. Environmental Sustainability

2. Socio-Cultural Sustainability

3. Economic Sustainability

4. Tourism Packages

5. Policy & Governance

6. Monitoring & Evaluation

Table heads will remain at each table to guide discussions and rapporteurs will be at each table to record key points on flipcharts. At the end of the session, each table head (or nominated person) will present their tables flip charts to the rest of the room.

Once all presentations are done, participants will be given voting dots to vote for their top 6 issues (either challenge or opportunity).

15:00

Networking Break

15:15

Activity 2: Developing Actionable Strategies and Initiatives

Participants will form breakout groups to address the top-voted issues from Activity 1.

Each table will be given one issue to discuss and identify solutions and actions. Each table head (or nominated presenter) will present what was discussed to the whole room).

Once all presentations are done, participants will be given voting dots to vote for their top 6 issues (either challenge or opportunity).

16:00

Activity 3: Commitments & Reflections

Participants share one thing they have learnt during the workshop and individually identify and record one sustainability-related action they commit to implementing within the next 30 days.