ASEAN-Korea Centre Hosts Tourism Capacity-Building Seminar in Brunei Darussalam (3 February)

ASEAN-Korea Centre Hosts Tourism Capacity-Building Seminar in Brunei Darussalam (3 February)

- UNESCO World Heritage and Korean experts exchange views on Brunei's UNESCO World Heritage nomination process -

The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC, Secretary General Kim Jae-shin), in partnership with the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) of Brunei Darussalam, co-hosted a seminar titled "Laying the Groundwork: Beginning the UNESCO World Heritage Pathway in Brunei" on Tuesday, 3 February in Brunei Darussalam. The seminar was organized to share UNESCO World Heritage inscription cases from ASEAN and Korea, and to facilitate substantive discussions on Brunei Darussalam's pathway toward future UNESCO World Heritage nomination, serving to support the strengthening of local tourism competitiveness.

The seminar invited world heritage experts from key institutions including the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta, the Korea Heritage Service, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, and the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center, who shared country- and region-specific cases of UNESCO World Heritage inscription and their broader implications.
In addition, around 80 participants from central and local government officials of Brunei Darussalam and tourism industry professionals to academic experts have joined to examine: the key requirements and preparation strategies for world heritage inscription; the maintenance of balance between conservation management and tourism development following inscription; and the operational case studies from countries with world heritage sites, including Korea.

Ahead of the seminar, the AKC and the invited experts conducted a technical visit to Ulu Temburong National Park, which has been designated as the country's top priority nomination site. The visit allowed the participants to inspect and exchange ideas on the status of natural heritage management, biodiversity conservation efforts, and the heritage value of the Park's natural environment. Brunei Darussalam possesses rich natural and cultural heritage, with more than 70% of its land area covered by forests.
In this context, the MPRT has been actively pursuing UNESCO World Heritage inscription by establishing a systematic framework for heritage protection and management throughout the nomination process and by fostering a sustainable heritage tourism industry to enhance national tourism competitiveness. Recently, Brunei Darussalam achieved the inscription of its traditional attire, Kebaya, and traditional oral literature, Pantun, on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Secretary General Kim Jae-shin of the AKC remarked, "I hope this seminar served as a valuable platform to share Korea's and ASEAN's experiences in the complex and long-term process of UNESCO heritage inscription, while supporting Brunei Darussalam's national efforts toward heritage listing and tourism capacity-building. The AKC will continue to expand tourism cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and Korea in the years ahead."

Annex 1. Photo of the Seminar