Interested in getting its tourism industry off the ground running, East Timor’s government is apparently seeking Bali’s help.
If any Indonesian island knows tourism its Bali, but whether or not our resort island will help the small developing nation for better or for worse is too soon to say. We hope Bali does not act as a role model for just building up colonies of hotels and servicing Bogans gone wild like in certain places, ahem, Poppies.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has already spoken up and said he’s into working with East Timor.
I welcome this assessment. The Balinese have many psychological ties with East Timor, therefore, we should help each other. East Timor has great potential in eco-tourism, but requires some guidance to get it going, Pastika said yesterday in Denpasar during the visit of East Timor Deputy Minister of Labor, Ilidio Ximenes da Costa, as quoted by Kompas.
As for da Costa, he says working with Bali, a place that has experience with tourism and employment, will be a great way for the young nation to put theory into practice.
“East Timor has adequate human resources but is till lacking in their utilization. Therefore we hope to practice in Bali, to then be able to apply their knowledge to progress in our country,” said da Costa, as quoted by Kompas.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
