Friday, August 17, 2007

Nino Konis Santana National Park

See http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/programs/s2007274.htm for information about New South Wales government support for Timor Leste's first marine and terrestrial national park.

FREE CD-ROM!

The Timor Leste Government's Directorate of Tourism has received stocks of a wonderful, updated tourism information CD-ROM, prepared by the Portuguese NGO Gertil. Entitled "Turismo in Timor - Eastern Paradise", it has interactive maps that enable you to travel virtually around the country, clicking on destinations to see photos and video. There's also some nice traditional Timorese music on it. This is what gets handed out at trade shows such as PATA. If you'd like a copy, or several to hand out to your guests, either contact the Tourism Directorate or pick them up at FreeFlow Dive Centre.

Friday, August 10, 2007

East Timor Tourism - In the news again...

Follow this link for another story about East Timor's tourism potential, "Rewards Await in East Timor", this time from South Asian Post, at http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/ff808081145157fb01145175d2130007_East_timor.do.html We are really starting to build a reputation for being one of Asia's most exciting new holiday destinations.
Viva Rai Doben!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Calling all tourism businesses...

This blog offers a space to any tourism business in Timor Leste to post their details. People do use the internet to plan their trips when they are independent travellers, as many are who come to this country. We are working on plans for ATTL, the Timor Leste Government and as many tourism businesses as possible to participate in the upcoming PATA Travel Mart in Bali in September. We will have an ATTL meeting about that once the government has finalised its plans. So it's time to make sure that you have lots of brochures to hand out! If you can't go to Bali, we'll hand them out for you.
I was also very impressed to stumble across a Dili restaurant, Sanan Rai, which has started its own blog. Way to go. Blogs are easy and cost you nothing. See what Sanan Rai have done at http://sananrai.blogspot.com/ . So email me attl_vp@hotmail.com with your company information and photos (jpeg) and I will post them here for you.

East Timor Could Be Tourism Paradise

Follow this link to read a Reuters story on Tourism in Timor Leste, as published by the Gulf News. It begins.... "it has pristine beaches, lush highlands and an exotic cultural mix". How true.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10145102.hmtl.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Nino Konis Santana National Park - Good News!

Yes, we have our first National Park in Timor Leste. Here are the details. Does anybody out there have a beautiful photo of the area that I could post here, to show why it's so important to protect it?
Email me a JPEG at attl_vp@hotmail.com.

The following is a press release from the Prime Minister's Office (in English and the official languages, Tetun and Portuguese):

---OOO---
Gabinete do primeiro-ministro


Media Release




Government establishes
nino konis santana nationAL PARK


IN the eastern tip of Timor-Leste, its 68,000 hectares of land
and 55,600 of sea aim to conserve a very rich national heritage

Dili, 27 July 2007 – In its meeting Friday, 27 July, the Government of Timor-Leste formally approved the declaration of “Nino Konis Santana National Park” as the first National Park in its national Protected Area Network.
Timor-Leste is internationally recognized as a high priority for terrestrial and marine biodiversity conservation. Globally it occurs within the region of ‘Wallacea’, an area rich in diverse and unique biota, and is located within the ‘Coral Triangle’ an area with the greatest biodiversity of coral and reef fish in the world.
The joint terrestrial and marine National Park has been widely consulted and developed in close collaboration with local communities living within the area.
The Government of Timor-Leste with continuing assistance from BirdLife International and the Australian New South Wales State Government Department of Environment and Climate Change is ensuring an enlightened approach of collaborative, joint management between the Government and local communities in collaboration with civil society.
This approach will ensure equity of benefits to local communities, protection and management of unique biodiversity, conservation of watersheds and recognition of traditional ownership, use and continued residence for local communities.
The National Park is established as an internationally recognized IUCN Management Category V Protected Landscape/Seascape where the traditional, cultural and spiritual interactions of local people and nature are maintained in a way that protects the environment and provides sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
The National Park incorporates the entire eastern tip of Timor-Leste encompassing approximately 68,000 hectares of land and 55,600 hectares of sea, a total of 123,600 hectares and aims to conserve a rich and extensive natural, cultural and historical heritage. It conserves an extensive range of land and seascapes and will protect nationally and globally significant flora and fauna species and habitats on both land and sea, including extensive coral reefs and one of the largest remaining intact examples of tropical lowland and monsoon rainforest in the region.
The National Park is named in honour of Nino Konis Santana, national hero and former Commander of FALANTIL, the armed wing of the resistance movement in the struggle for independence who was born in the village of Tutuala within the National Park.
The area was a stronghold of the resistance movement during the struggle for independence. It holds continuing deep mythological, cultural and historical significance for the people of Timor-Leste. Continuously occupied for over 40,000 years, the area is rich in archaeological heritage and has many sites from the colonial Portuguese and World War II Japanese occupation periods.





Para informação adicional, por favor contactar:
Hakarak informasaun ne’ebe detalhu bele kontaktu ho:
For further information, please contact:

Ivana Belo
Serviço de Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
unugina2004@yahoo.com
+670 7243559.

Antonio Ramos Andre
Assessor para a Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
Palácio do Governo, Díli – Timor-Leste
antónio.m.andre@gmail.com
+670 7319905
Informação à Comunicação Social


Governu aprova tiona
Parke Nasional Nino Konis Santana


Atu halo conservasaun ba area ne’ebe bo’ot
iha ponta leste, hodi proteje ambiente

Dili, lóron 27 Jullu 2007 – Ohin Governo Timor-Leste formalmente aprova deklarasaun ba “Parke Nasional Nino Konis Santana” nebe’e hanesan primeiru Parke Nasional ne’ebe halo parte rede areas protejidas nasionais.
Timor-Leste simu rekonhesimentu internasional hanesan prioridade bo’ot ba konservasaun biodiversidade ba rai no tasi. Globalmente, buat ne’e akontese tan ita nia nain iha regiaun “Wallacea” (Linha ida nebe’e hodi define flora no fauna iha parte sul no parte norte) hanesan area ida nebe’e riku no uniku ho animal no ai horis oi-oin iha rai no tasi laran. Buat hirak ne’e hamutuk iha fatin “Trianglu Coral” (hanesan sanak tolu ou membentuk 3 sudut) hanesan area ida nebe’e ho biodiversiade bo’ot no mos species ikan iha meti ulun resife koral mundo ida ne’e.
Deklarasaun ba Parke Nasional ne’be hamutuk ho rai no tasi lao tuir konsulta bo’ot ne’ebe halao ho kolaborasaun diak ho komunidade local nebe’e hela iha area hirak ne’e. Governo Timor-Leste fo certeza katak sei halao kolaborasaun no jestaun ida ke diak ho comunidade local no sociadade sivil. Tenki halao kolaborasaun hodi nune bele benificia komunidade sira no mos fo protesaun ba biodiversidade ida ke uniku, konservasaun basia jeografiku no rekonhesimentu ba tradisaun sira, i nune mos kuminidade rai nain sira bele halao sira nia moris hanesan bain-bain. Parke Nasional establese ho rekonesimentu internasional – IUCN hanesan jestaun ba kategoria V ba paisagem protejida nebe’e tuir tradisional, cultura no interasaun spiritual ba ema rai nain, rai no ahi horis hodi mantein iha fatin nebe’e proteje ambiente nune’e be fo sustentabilidade ba comunidade lokal sira nia ai horis/ai han.
Parke Nasional hola parte ponta leste Timor-Leste nian ho area aproximasaun ida hanesan 68,000 ha ba rai, 55,600 ha ba tasi, total hamutuk 123,600 ha objetivu hirak ne’e atu konserva riku soin ida ke bo’ot i natural no mos ba cultura no fatin historico hanesan patrimoniu ida ke orijinal. Ida ne’e atu konserva aihoris husi rai no paisagem atu nune bele globalmente fo protesaun ida nebe’e significante ba spesies flora, fauna no habitats iha rai no tasi. Hanesan ne’e inclui mos ahu ruin sira ne’ebe halo parte resife de koral meti ulun ida ke bo’ot tebes. Fatin ne’e hanesan ezemplu terras elagadas/tropical lowland, florestas tropical semi verde/monsoon rain forest, iha regiaun ne’e.
Parke Nacional ho naran Nino Konis Santana hodi fo onra ba heroi nacional ida nebe’e hanesan eis comandante FALINTIL, forsa armada, liman kroat ba luta rezistensia iha movimentu hodi manan indepencia, ne’ebe moris iha rai Tutuala.
Area ne’e uluk hanesan fatin nebe’e forsa tebe-tebes ba movimentu resistensia durante halo luta hodi hetan indepensia. Fatin ne’e sei hare nafatin hanesan fatin nebe’e lulik ho cultura no istoriku nebe’e significante ba ema iha Timor-Leste. Area ne’e riku ho patrimoniu arkeolojiku tamba fatin ne’e ema hela tiona durante tinan 40,000. Nune’e mos fatin ne’e iha sitius barak husi durante kolonia Portugal no Japaun nia okupasaun durante segunda gerra mundial/pacific war II.

Projetu ne’e mos halao hamutuk ho parseiru ONG Birdlife International ho apoiu husi Departamentu Ambiente no Alterasaun Klimatiku Governu Estadu NSW Australia.


Para informação adicional, por favor contactar:
Hakarak informasaun ne’ebe detalhu bele kontaktu ho:
For further information, please contact:

Ivana Belo
Serviço de Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
unugina2004@yahoo.com
+670 7243559.

Antonio Ramos Andre
Assessor para a Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
Palácio do Governo, Díli – Timor-Leste
antónio.m.andre@gmail.com
+670 7319905

Gabinete do primeiro-ministro


Informação à Comunicação Social




CONSELHO DE MINISTROS APROVA CRIAÇAO
DO PARQUE NACIONAL NINO KONIS SANTANA



esta ZONA NATURAL PROTEGIDA FICA na ponta leste
e os seus 68.000 hectares em terra e 55.000 no mar
visam preservar um património nacional muito rico


Dili, 30 de Julho de 2007 – O Conselho de Ministros de Timor-Leste aprovou na sua reunião de 6ªfeira, 27 de Julho, o estabelecimento do Parque Nacional Nino Konis Satana que se constitui como o primeiro de uma Rede Nacional de protecção da natureza.

Timor-Leste tem uma elevada prioridade, internacionalmente reconhecida, no âmbito da conservação da biodiversidade marinha e terrestre. O seu território integra a região de “Wallacea”, localizada no chamado “Triângulo de Coral”, muito rica pela variedade e pela singularidade da sua flora e fauna.

O Parque Natural Nino Konis Santana, integrando as vertentes terrestre e marinha, está a ser desenvolvido no terreno em ampla consulta e colaboração estreita com as comunidades que nele vivem.

O governo de Timor-Leste tem adoptado uma abordagem moderna da gestão ambiental, privilegiando a acção conjunta do governo e das comunidades locais, com envolvimento de parceiros da sociedade civil.

A estratégia de desenvolvimento e consolidação da protecção da área do novo Parque Nacional visa assegurar equidade na distribuição dos benefícios ambientais entre as comunidades locais, a protecção da biodiversidade própria da área, a conservação e gestão dos aquíferos e o reconhecimento da propriedade tradicional e da sua utilização pelas comunidades residentes na área do Parque.

O Parque Nacional Nino Konis Santana cumpre os requisitos de parque internacionalmente reconhecido pelo IUCN (Paisagem protegida, Categoria V) em que as interacções culturais locais com a natureza são mantidas, conciliando a protecção ambiental com a extracção sustentável de recursos e meios de vida pelas comunidades locais.

O Parque Nacional Nino Konis Santana visa preservar um muito rico e variado património natural, cultural e histórico e integra a totalidade da ponta leste de Timor-Leste, com aproximadamente 68 mil hectares de terreno e mais de 55 mil de área marítima, num total de 123.600 hectares.

A área do Parque inclui um amplo leque de paisagens terrestres e marinhas, incluindo extensos recifes de coral, além da maior área sobrevivente de terras alagadas tropicais e de floresta tropical de monção naquela zona.

O novo parque é baptizado com o nome do falecido herói nacional da resistência e antigo comandante das Falintil, Nino Konis Santana, natural de Tutuala, uma emblemática vila do distrito de Láutem integrada na área do Parque.

Edos sta zona do país foi um baluartes do movimento de resistência e de luta pela Independência de Timor-Leste, além de constituir historicamente um símbolo profundo mítico, cultural e histórico para o povo de Timor-Leste.

Habitada continuamente desde há 40 mil anos, a zona da ponta leste que o Parque Nacional Nino Konis Santana abrange é muito rica do ponto de vista do património arquelógico, além de incluir locais evocativos da passada presença colonial portuguesa, bem como do período da ocupação japonesa, no decurso da II Guerra Mundial.
Este projecto está a ser desenvolvido em parceria com a organização não governamental BirdLife International, com o apoio do Departamento de Ambiente e Alteração Climática do Governo do Estado Australiano da Nova Gales do Sul.

Para informação adicional, por favor contactar:
Hakarak informasaun ne’ebe detalhu bele kontaktu ho:
For further information, please contact:

Ivana Belo
Serviço de Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
unugina2004@yahoo.com
+670 7243559.

Antonio Ramos Andre
Assessor para a Comunicação
Gabinete do Primeiro-Ministro
Palácio do Governo, Díli – Timor-Leste
antónio.m.andre@gmail.com
+670 7319905

Trade Shows

We are still receiving an occasional email generated by Timor Leste’s participation at BITE 2007 (Beijing International Travel Expo) last June. Now, the Timor Leste Embassy to Beijing is working on an International Eco-Tourism Exhibition in Nanchang next October. Below is an email from Tony Duarte at the Embassy about promotional material and also some information about the Chinese outbound travel market.

---OOO---

Dear Everyone,

Greetings from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in Beijing, China

We are, at this stage, compiling information in relation to our intended participation in China (Nanchang) International Eco-tourism Exhibition and Award Tourism Conference, which will be held from 21 – 23 October 2007, in which we are going to market Timor-Leste’s tourism attractions to potential buyers of Timor-Leste tourism packages. The event’s primary focus is on eco-tourism.

For the event, we are going to produce a booklet, which will be of interest to the visiting potential buyers.

Should you have tourism packages on offer that you wish to be included in our brochure that will be of interest to potential Chinese and other international visitors during the event, please send us the necessary information about your company and the packages on offer.

Please note that we do not charge any fees. Our request to include your company’s profile and packages on offer is free of charge.

Should you have further question, please do not hesitate to contact us.


Warmest Regards,

Tony Duarte
Project Coordinator
Embassy of Timor-Leste in Beijing156 Gold Island Diplomatic CompoundNo. 1 Xibahe Nanlu, Beijing 100028People's Republic of ChinaTel: + 86 10 6440 3072/3079Fax: + 86 10 6440 3071Websites: www.timor-leste.gov.tl


“Subject: China International Travel News!!!!

China Outbound Travel News – Now Available: www.cotn.cn

Get the latest information on the Chinese outbound travel market and how it affects your business at: www.cotn.cn
A publication of i2i Media: www.i2i-m.com

LATEST NEWS
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Foreign tour firms set for easier travel in China
MVA gets great response from Harbin
Personal tour consumption value to hit US$118b in 2007
US targets China as next tourism ticket

---OOO---

The ATTL is also preparing for the PATA Travel Mart in Bali in September. Watch out on this site for the announcement of date of the next ATTL meeting, when we’ll be able to pass on some information from the Government of Timor Leste about our participation.