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Turismo de Timor-Leste at PATA Travel Mart 2004 crowned as a big success
For the second time Turismo de Timor-Leste attended the PATA Travel Mart, in Bangkok, Thailand from the 22nd to the 25th of September 2004.
The preliminary results of Timor-Leste’s participation in the most important tourism market of the Asia-Pacific region, was that of a greater and better recognition of the World’s Newest Nation as a new tourist destination.
Besides several trade professionals and specialized media, resulting in 100 meetings, the Turismo de Timor-Leste stand was visited by high signatories from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and fby the Tourism Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.
The PTM 2004 edition was also a big organizational success as 1065 delegates registered, which represented a 70% increase in participation levels when compared to the 2003 edition.
Next year’s PATA Travel Mart will be hosted by Malaysia, at the brand new Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, from the 27th to the 30th of September, 2005.
PATA Travel Mart 2004, Bangkok, Thailand
22nd to 24th of September
Timor-Leste Tourism will be participating in an edition of the PATA Travel Mart for the second time. This year it will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 22nd to the 24th of September.
The PATA Travel Mart is a tourism market, held exclusively for professionals from the five continents and is an excellent moment to present a new tourist destination.
The 18m2 of the stand will mostly be dominated by big images of the main tourism attractions of Timor-Leste: diving and other marine activities, sun and sea, white sand beaches and nature tourism, with bird watching and mountaineering as the highlights. The stand has a screen where videos of Timor-Leste can be seen and a computer where the updated version of the CD-Rom Discover the World’s Newest Nation, a journey through Timor-Leste, can be visualised.
The delegation travelling to Bangkok will consist of staff from the Tourism Division and staff representing the Timor-Leste Tourism Association.
Again, the creation of the stand was left at the care of GERTiL — Research Group for the Reconstruction of Timor-Leste and the production of the stand at the hands for the Macau Tourism Services.
Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa 2004, Lisbon, Portugal
21st to 25th January, 2004
Timor-Leste Tourism was present at the BTL 2004, it was its first presence at a tourism fair in Europe.
With an 18m2 stand, Timor-Leste aimed to show its diversity as a new tourism destination.
On a background with the national flag, several photographs showing the different characteristics of Timor-Leste alternated with an invitation, in various languages, for all to Discover the World’s Newest Nation.
On the opening day of the Lisbon Travel Market, the stand was visited by the delegation of Portuguese Minister of Economy, Carlos Tavares, the Deputy Prime Minister, José Luís Arnaut and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Luís Correia da Silva. The Embassador of Timor-Leste in Lisbon, Pascoela Barreto, was also present at the Timor-Leste stand.
For five days the market was the object of great curiosity and all those that visited the Timor-Leste stand left words of incentive. Though this market took place only a year and half after Independence, Timor-Leste was presented as being ready for its first tourists and ready to attract investment in the sector.
Timor-Leste Tourism’s contribution at the Portuguese market has as a goal to capture the attention of all that, in some way, are tied to Timor-Leste and, for others, to present a safe country in peace and ready to be discovered by tourists.
The presence of the Timor-Leste Tourism at the BTL was only possible due to the commitment and support of the Portuguese Secretariat of State for Tourism, the Portuguese Institute for Tourism (ITP), ICEP|Portugal, FIL — Feira Internacional de Lisboa and GERTiL — Research Group for the Reconstruction of Timor-Leste, who created the stand.
PATA Travel Mart 2003, Singapore
1st to 3rd of October
Timor-Leste Tourism’s participation at the PATA Travel Mart 2003, was it’s first representation in a fair dedicated solely to tourism. With only 18m2, the stand and the Timor-Leste delegation were able to attract much attention as Xanana Gusmão, the president of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, was a guest of honour at the opening ceremony.
Xanana Gusmão, often called “the Mandela of Asia”, wanted to contribute by giving his absolute support to a sector that, in the mid-term, will be crucial to the economy and development of Timor-Leste: tourism.
The Timor-Leste Tourism stand was also stage for many photographs as Xanana Gusmão, one of the world’s most renown leaders, gladly accepted the requests of all those that wanted to perpetuate the moment and, in years to come, remember it.
The stand, of mostly institutional character, had as a main objective to show the World’s Newest Nation. The central part of the stand had a big map of Timor-Leste, it was surrounded by photographs that showed some of the beauty of the country and focussed particularly on diving. Black, red and yellow, the colours of the flag, were used in the creation of the stand.
Throughout the first three days of the PTM03, many agents, sector professionals and journalists showed interest for this new tourist destination, taking some time to look at the stand.
The Timor-Leste Tourism delegation consisted of three elements of the Tourism Delegation and a further two elements representing the Timor-Leste Tourism Association, showing that the tourism sector of this young nation already features partnerships between the pubic and private sectors. These partnerships are considered fundamental for the success of Timor-Leste as a tourism destination.
The creation of the stand was left at the care of the Macau Tourism Services, as a result of a partnership that had begun only a few months earlier in Timor-Leste.
The Government of Timor-Leste became a member of the PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) in April 2003