DILI, 17 september 2021 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Tourism, Trade, and Industry (MTCI) and five local tourism groups signed an agreement on the implementation of the community tourism pilot project.
With the signing of the agreement, MTCI provided an incentive budget of US$ 237.550 to develop the local tourism activities of the five groups.
“Of the US$ 237.550, the total amount to be distributed to each group is varied. It depends on their activities. AST Rabeka group from Nunu-Mogue village of Ainaro municipality would receive US$ 30.230, Warda Dezenvolvimeno Turizmu Maubisse-Mauloko from Maubisse village of Ainaro municipality would get US$ 41.070, Haut-Anan from Seloi village of Aileu municipality would receive US$ 49.900, Uaisarake from Uailili village of Baucau municipality would get 100.200 and Labadain Kreativu ba Dezenvolvimentu from Uaimori village in Viqueque municipality is going to receive a total of US$ 16.150,” the Minister of Tourism, Trade, and Industry, José Lucas do Carmo da Silva said during his speech at the signing of the agreement at MTCI’s office in Farol, Dili, today.
At the same place, Vice Minister of Community and Cultural Tourism, Inacia da Conceição Teixeira informed that the implementation of the community tourism pilot project to promote the local potential as a strategy to develop a tourism village.
“Tourism is not about the infrastructure, but it is about the people and their activities. The activities have to be diverse and attractive and the community themselves are the owner of the nature-based activities,” Teixeira said in her speech during the signing of the agreement, at the MTCI office, in Farol, Dili, today.
“It’s not easy to implement such a pilot project, but with the leadership of the group leader and are accompanied by the villages’ chief, I believe that this project will be successfully implemented,” she said.
The role of local tourism in fostering economic development in rural areas is important to develop the livelihood of the local communities.
In addition, Minister Silva said that good communication between the five groups, the community leaders, the coordinators of the Community-Based Tourism and MTCI was a determinant factor for the success of the implementation of the project.
“The five groups have already received the handbook to tourism project. Therefore, I believe that there will be no significant challenges for the implementation of the pilot project,” said Silva.
Silva called on the five groups to implement the program properly to ensure positive outcomes, saying the five groups will be an example for the implementation of the same project in other villages.
Jeremias da Costa, the Coordinator of the Haut-Anan group from Seloi village of Aileu municipality thanked MTCI for selecting his village as one of the villages for the implementation of the project.
“This pilot project is the definition of the village development, which means the development has to begin right from the villages in the rural areas,” Costa said.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
