Bandar Seri Begawan, Nov 6 (IANS): Brunei welcomed passengers from the inaugural Royal Brunei Airlines direct flight from Chennai, a city located on the east coast of India, with a cultural reception at Brunei International Airport on Wednesday, local media reported.

According to the local daily Borneo Bulletin, India has been one of Brunei's top 10 source markets for tourism arrivals by air. As of June 2024, Brunei has welcomed 4,398 tourists from India.

The Brunei Tourism Development Department said in a press release that the launch of a direct flight from Chennai is expected to further strengthen this upward trend, providing more convenient travel options and encouraging more visitors from India in the coming years, Xinhua news agency reported.

Brunei is a Southeast Asian country with rich oil and gas resources and a population of 340,000 citizens. The Brunei government is committed to developing tourism and economic diversification.