BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Brunei is expected to see more than 10,000 cruise ship passengers this year, the country's Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism said on Friday.
Brunei welcomed the return of cruise tourism on Friday, marked by the arrival of the cruise ship Oceania Nautica from Cape Town, South Africa, with about 800 passengers on board including its crew.
The department said in a press release that a total of six cruise ships and 10,127 cruise ship passengers are expected to visit Brunei this year.
"The cruise tourism sector had come to a halt since the implementation of the COVID-19 travel restrictions in March 2020, with the last cruise ship making its port call in 2020 carrying 1,526 passengers," the department said.
According to data by the department, more than 46,000 cruise ship passengers visited Brunei between 2016 and 2020.
"The arrival of tourists through cruise ships is expected to contribute to the revival of the tourism industry in the country," the department added. ■