Community-Based Eco-cultural Tourism in Timor Leste

The document details how FoE Timor Leste/Haburas partnered with local communities to establish eco-lodges and tourism operations. The Tutuala project has hosted over 4,000 tourists and generated funds for education and living standards. This model has since been replicated in Maubisse and Laloran, promoting skill acquisition in areas such as financial management and environmental management. The author recommends that the government prioritize community-based ecotourism as a non-fossil fuel sector in its national strategic development plan.

• The community tourism project in Tutuala has successfully generated economic benefits and social improvements, hosting over 4,000 tourists from more than 140 countries and using income to fund children's education and improve living standards.
• The project model has been expanded beyond Tutuala to other regions, including the highlands of Maubisse and the coastal area of Laloran, demonstrating that local communities can manage their own tourism operations and participate in national development.
• Participation in community-based tourism has provided local members with diverse professional skills, including hospitality, tour guiding, budgeting, and environmental management, which are described as crucial for the development of Timor Leste.
• While oil and gas are the primary revenue sources for Timor Leste, they are short-term; consequently, FoE Timor Leste advocates for the government to integrate community-based ecotourism as a priority non-fossil fuel sector in the national strategic development plan.

APA

admin (2015). Community-Based Eco-cultural Tourism in Timor Leste. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/community-based-eco-cultural-tourism-in-timor-leste/

Chicago

admin. Community-Based Eco-cultural Tourism in Timor Leste. Friends of the Earth International, 2015. https://www.foei.org/community-based-eco-cultural-tourism-in-timor-leste/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=admin |title=Community-Based Eco-cultural Tourism in Timor Leste |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=30 September 2015 |url=https://www.foei.org/community-based-eco-cultural-tourism-in-timor-leste/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{admin2015communitybased, author = {admin}, title = {{Community-Based Eco-cultural Tourism in Timor Leste}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/community-based-eco-cultural-tourism-in-timor-leste/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }