The Tourism For All Project celebrated World Tourism Day 2021 with the second annual Turizmu Ba Ema Hotu Tourism Champions awards. Thirteen companies, individuals, and organisations were recognised for their exceptional contribution to tourism and to society during an exceptionally challenging year for the industry.
Three award categories reflected the particular challenges the sector faced in Timor-Leste:
| Category | Focus |
|---|---|
| Tourism Champions | Outstanding contribution to tourism development |
| Solidarity Champions | Community support and humanitarian response |
| Climate Champions | Environmental conservation and climate action |
Four of the winners shared the stories behind their awards: Ego Lemos, Robert Crean, Adino Boavida, and Pro Ema.
Ego Lemos — Climate Champion: Music with a Message
Music fans in Timor-Leste and overseas know Ego Lemos as a singer-songwriter. His song “Balibo” featured in the 2009 film of the same name and earned him two industry awards. The Tourism Climate Champion award, however, recognises his continuing work as an environmental activist.
Through his organisation Permatil, Lemos has led community-driven projects to restore the natural environment. His grassroots initiatives have delivered measurable impact:
- More than 250 school gardens established
- Over 100 water-source rehabilitation and conservation projects implemented
- More than 41,000 school children equipped with environmental sustainability knowledge
- Over 5,000 young people attending Permatil youth camps since 2008
Timor-Leste is vulnerable to two extremes of climate change — drought and floods. Lemos explained the urgency: “I have witnessed that many of the natural springs sometimes dry up completely and the local people have to walk for a long distance searching for water, especially women and children. And when the rains come, it’s heavier than before. So for my organisation Permatil we have to act as quickly as possible to raise awareness and train more people into taking action.”
That urgency intensified in April 2021, when Timor-Leste suffered catastrophic floods and landslides that killed more than 40 people. At youth camps, Lemos and his team spread the conservation message through practical land and water management workshops alongside music. His song “Haburas Rai” (Greening the Land) calls on people to stop felling trees and lighting grass fires — both of which cause soil erosion and increase the threat of landslides.
Lemos’ vision for the future of tourism in Timor-Leste is firmly rooted in conservation: “Rather than building a big hotel in the middle of beautiful nature, I think it is best to support local community guesthouses and promote local cuisine. It is a better way to establish tourism cooperatives so that businesses can benefit the tourism industry while also benefiting the local economy without destroying the environment and local culture.”
On receiving the award, Lemos reflected: “It’s an honour to receive the recognition, but I don’t want to just receive the award and stop working. I have to work again, and more.”
Robert Crean — Tourism Champion: Commitment and Investment
One of the very first foreign investors in Timor-Leste, Robert Crean established SVSC, a vehicle maintenance business, in 1999 — when the country was in ruins following its violent transition to independence after 25 years of Indonesian rule. SVSC kept the vehicles of development and humanitarian workers operational as they streamed into Dili to help rebuild the world’s newest nation.
Crean soon diversified into marine transport, operating a water taxi to Atauro island, which at the time had only one weekly ferry service. “When I first saw Atauro, it was just an amazing place. There were mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, and there are not many places in the world you get both,” he said.
He moved into marine tourism, opening Compass Diving and building a resort within the community of Adara. His company now:
- Employs more than 30 people
- Maintains an 80% Timorese workforce
- Runs field courses in sustainable tourism and conservation for marine science students from the National University
Compass Diving instructor Cassio Schumacher described the educational mission: “We’re showing students what tourism can do to protect the reefs, the environment, the mountains, and all the flora and fauna — working to increase tourism so that people can see it untouched and in a natural state.”
Just as Atauro island was gaining international attention as a global hotspot for whale-watching and scuba diving, the COVID-19 pandemic brought tourism to a halt. Crean had begun construction on a luxury guest bungalow at Adara resort when plans were frozen. Despite the setbacks, his resolve remained firm: “It is a struggle, but that makes it worthwhile. It means something to be recognised for the fact that we are still working towards developing local and international tourism in Timor-Leste.”
Adino Boavida — Tourism Champion: Champions of People
Ten years ago, Jeremias “Adino” Boavida was working as a security guard. His life changed when he walked into the popular Dili beachfront restaurant Caz Bar looking for part-time work. Owner Carron Dutch recalled: “He ended up coming on full time because he liked it and we liked him. He was always happy and obliging and helping customers.”
Now head waiter, Boavida was nominated for his award by a long-time customer who wrote: “Over the many years that he has worked there, I have not seen a day that he has not given his best. Every Caz Bar customer knows him very well for his professionalism and friendly, spiritual attitude.”
Without formal training, Boavida built his skills entirely on the job:
- Rarely forgets a customer’s name
- Remembers regulars’ favourite drinks and dishes
- Proactively shares tourism information with visitors
- Self-taught basic greetings in English, Japanese, French, Italian, and Mandarin
During the COVID-19 travel restrictions, Boavida redirected his hospitality toward domestic visitors: “Some Timorese people don’t know about French fries and pizza and I encourage them to try new things. They enjoy it and then they come back. I cut them a nice cold coconut and they watch the sunset.”
Boavida also used his platform to advocate for the industry: “I’d like to ask the government to take a look at the beaches around Dili and to plant more trees so that tourists can sit in the shade. I’d also like to ask young people not to drop litter. We need to work together to attract more visitors to Timor-Leste.”
There is a Timorese legend that once you drink the coconut milk, you are destined to return. Boavida hopes that holds true for all his past visitors: “Normally my friends are coming from England, from Australia, from America. I can’t wait to say to them, ‘Welcome back! Good to see you again! Long time, no see!’”
Pro Ema — Solidarity Champion: Empowerment Through Enterprise
As a social enterprise offering training, employment, and economic independence to vulnerable young Timorese women, solidarity is core to Pro Ema’s business model. In 2018, Pro Ema Director Simone Assis brought in top chefs to train the staff, and the flagship restaurant became one of the most highly regarded in Dili.
Since then, the organisation has expanded significantly:
- Three restaurants
- A hair and beauty salon
- Artisan chocolate and ice cream factories
- Support for more than 40 women, including survivors of sexual violence
When Timor-Leste was struck by catastrophic floods on 4 April 2021, Pro Ema launched an immediate and large-scale relief effort under its “Together We Are Stronger” campaign:
| Relief Activity | Scale |
|---|---|
| Relief funds raised | More than $30,000 |
| Meals cooked and distributed | More than 30,000 |
| Raw rice distributed | More than 20,000 kg |
| Basic needs packages delivered | 850 |
Pro Ema Deputy Director Ana Paulina da Costa described entering the evacuation camps: “It was a big shock. There were many people who had lost their homes and all of their possessions. It wasn’t a safe place because of the pandemic — they had to sleep close to each other in crowded conditions — but they had no choice. We did what we could to help.”
With roads blocked by landslides and entire neighbourhoods submerged, the Pro Ema team navigated dangerous conditions across the capital to collect and deliver donations, and set up field kitchens to prepare nutritious meals for thousands of displaced people.
On receiving the Solidarity Champion award, Assis said: “This award is not just for Pro Ema. It belongs to everyone who joined hands to help, alongside our whole team, who worked day in, day out for six months to support the flood victims. Our motto is ‘Together We Are Stronger’. We couldn’t have done it alone.”
Source: USAID’s Tourism For All Project / Ann Turner