EAGA BEING PRIMED AS "EQUATOR ASIA" IN TOURISM FOCUS

KOTA KINABALU, June 1 (Bernama)-- As a tourism focus, the Brunei
Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area(BIMP-EAGA)
needs a better push.

In this respect, key tourism players in the sub-region who gathered in
Labuan recently for the 6th BIMP-EAGA Joint Tourism Development (JTD) cluster
meeting, have given it a new branding, "Equator Asia".

The tourism branding is the result of a German Technical Cooperation
branding report.

It was adopted by the participating BIMP-EAGA tourism players, who agreed to
undertake further initiatives such as consultations and promoting the Equator
Asia name, among product sellers for a stronger brand ownership.

A statement by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), here said
that a branding task force would explore alternative taglines to support the
main brand and highlight the EAGA’s biodiversity as its "brand essence".

Marketing and promotions will also zero in on the sub-region’s Culture,
Adventure and Nature (CAN) tourism.

The BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council (BETC) reported during the meeting that the
brand name had already gained acceptance in previous discussions and at a
ecotourism gathering in Indonesia.

The BETC also reported that the brand name had gained appeal at the recent
Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Fair 2008, where some EAGA tourism
players participated.

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also confirmed at the meeting
that it would provide technical assistance in preparing an ecotourism roadmap,
that would guide community-based ecotourism (CBET) development and promotion in
the EAGA.

The ADB will also assist stakeholders in preparing specific action plans to
implement two CBET pilot projects for each EAGA member country.

The BIMP-EAGA had also recently adopted CBET development as a strategy to
intensify partnerships among local governments and communities, as a means
of addressing rural poverty.

The meeting in Labuan urged the implementation of a unified tourism
promotion and marketing program for the BIMP-EAGA.

This is in view of the participation of tourism players in international
events, in organising and promoting EAGA signature events and the packaging and
promotion of EAGA tours as priority activities.

The signature events include the various international tourism
events,expositions and fairs that would be organised and participated by
BIMP-EAGA member countries through the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2010 in Brunei
Darussalam.

The meeting also encouraged the promotion of cruise tourism by EAGA member
countries, to take advantage of cruise ships coming from Japan and Korea.

The BETC has also proposed that Brunei Darussalam promote a yacht rally in
the BIMP-EAGA as one of its signature events to link all four members.

This event would support the existing Borneo International Yachting
Challenge (BIYC).

The cluster also recommended an improvement in the service and quality
standards of EAGA tourism establishments through capacity building activities
and the benchmarking of ecotourism standards.

During the recent 5th BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit in Thailand, Tourism
Ministers emphasised the need to deepen ownership of the roadmap priority
projects by the BIMP-EAGA LGUs (Local Government Units), communities, and
private sector to sustain the significant gains particularly in tourism
development. -- BERNAMA