Growing Tourism to 2030 – Enhancing a National Identity is Timor-Leste’s National Tourism Policy, the main government framework for the sector. The Council of Ministers approved it on 7 March 2017. It was prepared by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture with advisers funded through the ILO’s Business Opportunities and Support Services (BOSS) project, and the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) endorsed it. The policy comes in English, Portuguese and Tetum. Later plans, including the National Strategic Plan for the Development of Tourism 2023–2030, are organised around its five themes.
Key contents
- Vision for 2030: a “vibrant and attractive tourism sector” that creates jobs across the country, is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, and improves Timor-Leste’s image abroad. Development should be “small, gradual and sustainable”, with strong local ownership.
- Headline goals for 2030:
- International tourism revenue of at least US$150 million a year, excluding air and ferry fares (at 2016 prices).
- More than 15,000 tourism jobs, up from about 4,300 (2014 Business Activities Survey).
- At least 200,000 international tourists a year, with an average stay of five days.
- Five policy themes: Priority, Prosperity, Protection, Partnership and People.
- Diagnosis: Uses the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness framework to review Timor-Leste’s position. This covers the business environment, safety, health, human resources, ICT, international openness, price competitiveness, environmental sustainability, air, ground and port infrastructure, tourist services, and natural and cultural resources.
- Legal basis: Implements Decree-Law No. 24/2014 of 3 September, which set up the legal regime for tourism policy and its planning instruments.
- Process: A first draft was prepared by UNWTO in 2008. A situational analysis followed in 2015–16, then public consultations in 2016, including a round-table at the International Conference on Emerging Tourism Destinations in Dili. These produced more than 40 comments.
Language versions
The policy was published as one 48-page document in three languages:
- English: Growing Tourism to 2030 – Enhancing a National Identity
- Portuguese: Fazer Crescer o Turismo até 2030 – Fortalecer a Identidade Nacional (Política Nacional de Turismo)
- Tetum: Dezenvolve Turizmu to’o Tinan 2030 – Hametin Identidade Nasionál (Polítika Nasionál Turizmu)
Document details
- Publisher: Government of Timor-Leste, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture
- Approved: Council of Ministers, 7 March 2017 (Government Resolution)
- Languages: English, Portuguese, Tetum
- Pages: 48
- Download (English): timorleste.tl PDF
- Download (Portuguese): timorleste.tl PDF
- Download (Tetum): timorleste.tl PDF
Further reading
- Development of Tourism Policy and Strategic Planning in East Timor (2001)
- Tourism Development Strategies for Timor-Leste (c. 2003)
- National Tourism Policies and Strategies (presentation)
- A Sustainable Tourism Mode for Timor-Leste (2011)
- ILO BOSS Project: Tourism Sector Intervention Report (2016)
- Decree-Law 12/2019: Organic Law of the Ministry of Tourism
- National Strategic Plan for Tourism 2023–2030