Benefits and Challenges for International Tourists Visiting Dili, Timor-Leste
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6 January 2022 23:17 WIB
One delightful aspect of a trip to Dili is the warmth and friendliness of the Timorese people.
Visitors walking the streets can expect to be greeted with smiles and curiosity, especially from cheerful, inquisitive children.
Timorese Children Speaking With Tourist. Lafaeknews.com
Despite Portuguese being the official language, many young people are desperate to learn and practice their English and take every opportunity they can to converse with a foreigner, which again gives tourists another memorable photo opportunity.
There are still many places throughout the country where children seeing a foreigner for the first time can be an eye-popping experience.
Wide-eyed Wonder. Lafaeknews.com
The biggest complaint from tourists who have already visited Timor-Leste by air is the purchase of a “Visa on Arrival.
Before being allowed into the airport terminal, International travellers have to cue up outside and wait to purchase a one-month ‘Tourist Visa’ for 30 US dollars cash.
The Tourism and Hospitality industries want this to be abolished.
Airline passengers who have not arranged transport to their accommodation can expect to be surrounded and hassled by noisy taxi drivers wanting to charge a high fee for their services.
This is a virtual free-for-all.
For budget travellers, who prefer to use private public transport to help complete their Timor bucket list, this can be a very frustrating experience.
Punctuality and timetables are non-existent.
Buses destined for popular tourist spots gather at around the same time, early in the morning at a central pick-up point, however the drivers will not leave until they have enough passengers to cover their costs of the journey.
On most occasions the visitors, to whom time is limited; will arrive at the recommend departure time and spend sometimes an hour or more, sitting inside waiting for the bus to fill.
They can expect to share the bus with as many people that can fit in, sitting or standing, and a variety of animals, including chickens, small pigs and goats.
Overcrowded Bus Heading to District. Lafaeknews.com
Chickens travel free. Lafaeknews.com
None of the buses are air-conditioned and smoking is allowed inside. For tourists with an extra few dollars, they can rent a modern 4×4-land cruiser with a driver, at a cost of around one-hundred US a day. They are warned not to hire a vehicle and drive it themselves.
Since independence, the governing powers have yet to introduced a compulsory highway code or road rules.
The traffic in Dili can only be described as, bordering on chaotic.
Should foreigners have the misfortune to be involved in any sort of accident, the blame falls squarely on their shoulders and the local party involved in the collision immediately demands compensation in cash! This can be a harrowing experience.
Main Road West From The City. Lafaeknews.com
Coastal Road From City To Jesus Statue December 2021. Lafaeknews.com
Many of the roads to the outlying tourist attractions are still in poor condition and well-organised tours along smooth dual highways, are very rare.
Jeremiah Chan. Lafaeknews.com
“A reliable domestic air service would be more appealing to tourists,” says Jeremiah Chan, the Vice president of Hotel Owners Association in Timor-Leste, a young man with a plan to capitalise on the country’s tourism potential and develop an efficient internal aviation industry.
“In the Association’s opinion, to properly develop the tourism sector is not easy. First of all, we need to look at tourism infrastructures like airports, smooth bituminised roads, clean water, reliable electricity and medical facilities. These are the Government’s full responsibility. Hotels and restaurants can be managed by private sector.”
“When these infrastructures are in place, the next thing is the airplane connectivity. The infrastructure might be good but if domestic air transport is not available, the tourist will not come. Timor-Leste needs to responsibly develop tourism and we need a long term plan.”
“To develop the tourism area, there many different factors needed to be considered and all entities must walk hand and hand, and work together until tourism becomes successful in Timor-Leste.”
Jeremiah’s business took a big hit because of the Corona epidemic but he says these quiet times should be utilised by the Government to develop a firm Tourism infrastructure.
“Preparation is important because when nations open their gates and aircraft resume flights, Timor-Leste’s domestic tourism will be ready for the influx of international tourists.”
A relatively unknown quirk of nature is the 3,000-metre deep Ombai/Wetar Strait, a massive oceanic superhighway that flows between Dili and Arturo Island.
It connects the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, with an estimated 5-million tonnes of water, every second, moving between Dili and Ataúro, bringing with it several species of migrating whales, huge pods of dolphins and a variety of marine life, including sharks, large tuna fish, dugong and turtles.
Dolphins. Lafaeknews.com
Dugong. Lafaeknews.com
Over the past few years prior to the Corona lock-down, the whale watching industry had been growing rapidly, with a great deal of international and domestic tourism interest.
When questioned about the challenges facing tourism, a parliamentary spokesperson said Timor-Leste was a young country and was still in the process of being developed.
However, the majority of people interviewed for this story agreed that for the past 19 years the Government has focused solely on the country’s oil and gas developments, from which they have relied on for revenue.
Timor Sea Offshore Oil Rig. Lafaeknews.com
The current basic and shaky tourist infrastructure has not improved much since 2002 and all tourism operators believe it needs urgent action from the Government’s Tourism Minister, whose job it is to promote Dili, and the whole of Timor-Leste, as an International tourist destination.
On the surface Dili appears to offer what most visitors expect when visiting a different country.
- Easy access to and from the airport
- The internet
- A diverse range of comfortable accommodation
- Many popular attractions close by
- Whale and dolphin watching
- Coral reefs accessible from the coastline
- Well-established Tourism and Hospitality providers
- Spectacular photo opportunities
- Roadside stalls selling cheap local food and 100% organic fruit
- Arts and craft markets
- A young, friendly, smiling population
Nevertheless, there are many underlying, important challenges; in particular the rapidly deteriorating road conditions, pollution and the unreliable Internet; that need to be addressed before the city can hold its head up high and fulfil all the needs of its visitors.
Felisberto Fernandes da Costa, Lafaek News Timor-Leste, December 2021
This article was produced as part of the SEAFORE ASEAN Masterclass project with support from IWPR
