Tourism arrivals rise in Brunei and Eswatini

Brunei Darussalam and Eswatini have both reported significant increases in international visitor arrivals during 2026.

In Brunei, visitor arrivals reached nearly 400,000 between January and June 2026, a 7.8 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025. Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin noted that sea arrivals grew by almost 70 per cent, signaling potential in the cruise segment. Tourism receipts for the first half of the year rose to approximately BND158 million from BND140 million in 2025. While the average hotel stay decreased from three days to two, hotel revenue grew by roughly 17 per cent.

Eswatini recorded 100,554 international arrivals in July 2026, a 13.4 per cent increase over July 2025. This marks the first time in 2026 that monthly arrivals exceeded 100,000. Growth was seen across all major regions, with the Middle East seeing the highest percentage increase at 46.5 per cent. Africa remains the primary source of visitors, accounting for 88.8 per cent of total arrivals, with Mozambique serving as a particularly strong regional contributor.