The Strategic Tourism Marketing Plan for Timor-Leste in the Key Source Market of Indonesia is a September 2019 consultancy report. The Tourism Consultancy Division of Bali Discovery Tours prepared it for The Asia Foundation. It starts from a simple observation: the large majority of foreign visitors come from Indonesia, and almost all of them enter through an Indonesian gateway. Its conclusion is that Timor-Leste’s tourism growth depends heavily on access through, and cooperation with, Indonesia. It then sets out marketing steps and quick-win projects.
Key findings
- Threats to address first: expensive, non-competitive air access, after Garuda Indonesia’s subsidiaries (Citilink and Sriwijaya) came to dominate Bali–Dili flights from late 2018. Also a confused visa policy and the political deadlock of 2018–19, which left the tourism sector without a minister.
- Markets examined: Indonesians in major cities, expatriates living in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia, and foreign holidaymakers in Bali who could take a “Beyond Bali” trip to Timor-Leste. Indonesian inbound tour operators were also interviewed.
- Land access: nearly 40% of foreign tourist arrivals come overland from West Timor. The report recommends easier border procedures and better roads on the roughly 400 km Kupang–Dili corridor, and a modern road for the 286 km between Oecusse and Dili.
- Sea access: visitor arrivals by sea are minimal. It suggests ways to win more cruise and yacht traffic and to improve the cruise passenger experience in Dili.
- “Two Nations, One Island”: joint marketing of East and West Timor with the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
- Short-term “low-hanging fruit” projects requested by The Asia Foundation, including an upgrade of the timorleste.tl tourism website, a sales safari for Timor-Leste tourism businesses, a two-day digital boot camp, and an overland motorcycle safari from Kupang to Dili. Familiarisation trips for media and dive operators are also proposed.
Document details
- Prepared for: The Asia Foundation (Timor-Leste)
- Author: Bali Discovery Tours, Tourism Consultancy Division
- Date: September 2019 (fieldwork March 2019)
- Language: English
- Pages: 34
- Download: timorleste.tl PDF