Image of a coastline with a boat near the shore and several mountains in the background.

Promoting Tourism in Timor-Leste .

Environment and Natural Resources | Environmental and Climate Risk Management | Natural Climate Solutions | Economic Growth and Trade | Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
Asia

USAID’s Tourism for All Project (“USAID nia Projetu Turizmu Ba Ema Hotu”)

Project Dates: January 2018 - May 2023
As Timor-Leste invests in an inclusive and sustainable national tourism strategy, the country is emerging as an “off-the-beaten-path” destination for adventure travelers and eco-tourists.

In March 2017, Timor-Leste enacted its national tourism policy, which calls for sustainable environmental development while increasing tourist visits and improving local and national economic opportunities. Through USAID’s Tourism for All Project (“USAID nia Projetu Turizmu Ba Ema Hotu”), Timor-Leste realized its goal of becoming a tourist destination that brings 200,000 foreign tourists annually by 2030. Doing so requires an inclusive and sustainable approach that preserves the country’s unique environmental and cultural heritage. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, the activity emphasized public and private cooperation and worked to improve the tourism workforce, which the government estimates is now only about 4,300 people. As investment in eco-tourism and community-based tourism grows, Timor-Leste will emerge as a tourist destination for those seeking adventure, culture, and natural beauty.

581,099

dollars in new investments in the tourism sector

125,000,000

dollars in project inspired public-private partnership (PPP) investment opportunities

16

stage-process completed to successfully have Tais recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage

Project Goals


• Create public and private partnerships to boost tourism governance
• Ensure that existing institutions, policies, and laws will facilitate implementation of Timor-Leste’s national tourism policy
• Promote sustainable tourism investments that serve as replicable models of sustainability and best practices