UNWTO has launched a new ST-EP project in Timor-Leste to strengthen the marketing of community-based tourism in the country. The project is implemented with a generous contribution from the Korea Tourism Organization and the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation.

At the initial phase of the project, a rapid assessment has been made of the potential and the performance of community-based tourism enterprises in the country, providing advice to the enterprises and local support organizations on strong points to build on and constraints to be addressed.As a new independent country with attractive natural and cultural resources, Timor-Leste witnesses a growing demand from international tourists, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is actively supporting the development of community-based tourism initiatives as part of the efforts to diversify the country’s tourism product and enhance the local economic impact from tourism.

The ST-EP project will prepare a marketing strategy for community-based tourism, proposing marketing activities to be carried out, as well as capacity building activities to enhance the skills and experiences for marketing the community-based tourism product. The project will assist the Ministry and community-based tourism enterprises with the preparation of printed and on-line marketing materials, including a website and flyers on community-based tourism, and will organize training seminars for key stakeholders from the government, NGO’s and local enterprises to market the community-based tourism products of the country.

The new project will also create synergies with an on-going ST-EP project on vocational training in Timor-Leste, especially by enabling employees of community-based tourism enterprises to participate in tour guiding and hospitality courses offered through the vocational training project. In May 2016, steering committee meetings were held for both projects, in which clear arrangements were made with project stakeholders on the planning of capacity building and marketing activities, and the synergies to be created between the two projects.