Tourism Asset Mapping Report

Overview

This is the final consultancy report of a Tourism Asset Mapping (TAM) conducted under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance project “Cross-Border Trade and Cooperation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.”

Background

Between 2017 and 2018, ADB conducted a scoping study on enhanced cross-border cooperation and integration between Indonesia and Timor-Leste. One of the potential opportunities identified was the development of cross-border tourism itineraries, supported by a reduction in transport barriers and costs.

This work focused on:

• Creating joint itineraries under the banner “One Island – Two Nations”
• Developing niche tourism products combining highlights from West Timor (NTT) and Timor-Leste
• Positioning both destinations in a complementary, non-competitive manner

Tripartite Agreement

In May 2019, the Governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and the ADB signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support cross-border trade and cooperation, which included commitments to advance tourism collaboration.

This agreement was subsequently supported by the Cross-Border Trade and Cooperation technical assistance project, which:

• Commenced: July 2019
• Completed: December 2021

Tourism Asset Mapping

One of the main activities under the tourism cooperation component was to conduct a Tourism Asset Mapping (TAM) with stakeholders across Timor-Leste and West Timor. The results were used to identify viable joint island itineraries.

The report explains the methodology and findings of the TAM conducted on Timor Island.