Tourism Development Strategies for Timor-Leste is an early post-independence blueprint for the tourism sector. It is written in the government’s voice (“our country”) but names no author or publisher, and it is undated. Its references to 2002 hotel occupancy and to the Dili Cultural Centre opening in May 2003 suggest it was written around 2003. It proposes a focused, step-by-step approach: concentrate on a “Top Ten” set of priority sites and on target types of traveller rather than trying “to offer all things to all people”. It is one of the earliest destination inventories for independent Timor-Leste.
Key contents
- Starting point: before 1979 Timor received a trickle of mostly backpacker visitors, peaking at about 5,000 in 1974. In 2001 Dili had 164 hotel beds, and in 2002 hotel occupancy fell to about 50% as the international aid community began to leave. Comparisons with Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam use data from Carter and Ximenes (1999).
- Lessons from the aid “bubble”: aid workers gave local businesses experience and created demand for crafts. They also pushed up prices and gave a false impression that visitors would come with little effort.
- Site selection criteria: access from airports and roads, natural, cultural or historic appeal, key activities, accommodation, and local communities willing to take part.
- The “Top Ten” list: the Lautém/Tutuala and Jaco area, Baucau/Viqueque, Manatuto, Dili, Bobonaro, Letefoho/Ermera, Atauro, Mount Ramelau, Oecusse and others. Each comes with its attractions and places to visit.
- Programmes: community consultations, hospitality training, rewards for excellence, record-keeping and visitor-satisfaction measures, joint marketing with regional travel associations, and an official government tourism website aimed at eco/adventure operators and guidebook publishers.
- Sample itineraries: including a 10-day adventure across the country.
Document details
- Publisher: not stated (written in the government’s voice)
- Year: undated (about 2003, from internal references)
- Language: English
- Pages: 56
- Download: timorleste.tl PDF