USAID's Tourism for All -- Annual Work Plan – FY2019

The project's purpose is to expand and improve Timor-Leste's tourism offering using an inclusive and sustainable approach, facilitate private investment, promote steady and sustainable tourism growth, and safeguard the environment and social characteristics of local communities. The project will focus on five different tourism niches identified in the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030: eco and marine, historical and cultural, adventure and sports, religious and pilgrimage, and conference and convention. Activities in the initial three-year project will stimulate public and private cooperation to market Timor-Leste as an "off-the-beaten-path" destination for adventure travelers and eco-tourists. The Government of Timor-Leste's National Tourism Policy seeks to boost tourist arrivals to 200,000 annually by 2030, increase employment in tourism to 15,000 jobs, and generate US$150 million in annual tourism revenue. USAID's tourism project is expected to learn from and adapt to changing circumstances, including market forces, throughout implementation. The project will work with government to establish incentives and obligations that are more private sector-friendly, promoting steady and sustainable tourism growth. It will also focus on creating favorable conditions for private sector investment in and management of public assets such as protected natural or cultural sites. The project's objectives and proposed interventions include: * Expanding and improving Timor-Leste's tourism offering using an inclusive and sustainable approach * Facilitating private investment by working with government to establish incentives and obligations that are more private sector-friendly * Promoting steady and sustainable tourism growth * Safeguarding and conserving the environment and social characteristics of local communities The project will be implemented in collaboration with various stakeholders, including government, industry, civil society, academia, and development partners. It will also involve the establishment of a project organizational chart and a detailed implementation budget. The project's geographic focus is Timor-Leste, with a specific emphasis on the tourism sector. The project's timeframes are October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019, with a focus on the initial three-year project period. Implementation details for the project include: * Conducting a political economy analysis (PEA) to identify the key drivers of tourism growth in Timor-Leste * Developing a business enabling environment (BEE) to facilitate private investment in the tourism sector * Establishing a national tourism development partnership (NTDP) to promote public and private cooperation in the tourism sector * Conducting a participatory institutional capacity assessment and learning (PICAL) to identify the capacity needs of government and private sector stakeholders in the tourism sector * Developing a monitoring and evaluation (MEL) plan to track the project's progress and impact The project's recommendations include: * Establishing a clear and universally accepted vision and agreement about how to achieve the ambitious goals set forth in the National Tourism Policy * Creating a business enabling environment to facilitate private investment in the tourism sector * Promoting public and private cooperation in the tourism sector through the establishment of a national tourism development partnership