Introducing Ataúro and ATKOMA

ATKOMA was created in 2000 by an assembly of local tourism advocates to develop low-impact tourism in Timor-Leste. The group consists of tourism providers and community representatives who advocate for sustainable tourism. We want to see Ataúro become a world-class ecotourism destination. The group also advocates for economic stability alongside sustainability to ensure that the tourism industry supports the people of Ataúro. Establishing conservation and community involvement we are creating a better future for our beloved island.  

Critically, sustainable tourism does not just bring visitors to the destination; it also centers the citizens of Ataúro first and foremost, ensuring that tourism contributes positively to the culture and nature. As the island’s only DMO, ATKOMA focuses most on destination marketing, tourism training and mentoring, research, planning, development and advocacy. 

ATKOMA is the perfect travel partner to help you plan your next visit to Ataúro. However, this blog in particular is dedicated to describing a partnership that far predates ATKOMA: the relationship between the ocean, rivers, and mountains of Ataúro, and the people who have cared for them for generations. With the recent recognition of Ataúro Island as Green Destinations Top 100 Sustainability Stories, this blog is dedicated to discussing the practice of tara bandu, helping our readers understand this success story and the essential role that ATKOMA has played. 

Tara Bandu – Our Sustainability Story

In ancient Timor-Leste, Tara Bandu was a term used to describe a prohibition. The word translates to prohibition by hanging and is now being reclaimed in Ataúro to determine natural protection areas. Since the beginning of this process, ATKOMA has been closely involved in ensuring its social and environmental success. In the past five years, Ataúro has guaranteed the demarcation of 13 zones as a Tara Bandu maritime protected area across the island. In these areas, conservation rules are delimited by the Village’s Council and community co-management committee. Some preservation efforts include a no-take zone surrounded by a buffer area where restrictions are less strict. Some of the rules in the no-take zones include; no fishing, boats are not allowed to navigate or anchor except in cases approved by the board. 

So far, the Tara Bandu protected areas have seen an increase in biodiversity and regeneration of different types of marine life, such as corals and certain fish species. Tara Bandu is both an environmental and economic success story, with taxes levied on tourists for use of the tara bandu area raising over $10,000 annually for some villages on the island. With the recent COVID-19 shutdown, sustaining these areas has become challenging. However, communities have drawn on cultural traditions to continue to maintain these places as sanctuaries for life to thrive.

Atauro’s Sustainability Assessment

To apply for the Green Destinations Top 100 Competition, ATKOMA had to go through a rigorous sustainability check. The assessment was an important way for us to see where we are succeeding, and where we can improve. Check out some examples of the categories analyzed and how ATKOMA is hoping to improve them: 

• Sustainable destination coordination, tangible cultural heritage and nature conservation: these were the criteria which Ataúro performed best with the Tara Bandu contribution. Nevertheless, we have ongoing efforts to maintain our good performance in these areas. 
• Supporting local entrepreneurs and inhabitant: we scored slightly lower in these indicators. ATKOMA is working towards enhancing our performance. For example, we work very hard to attract local businesses to collaborate with us. By joining as member, businesses and entrepreneurs can rest assured that their demands will be heard and addressed and receive promotion as our partners. 

Community involvement in planning: This last indicator is what we have been working the hardest to improve. As community involvement is one of the founding pillars of ATKOMA, we are working to make sure that the outcomes of Tara Bandu are not only environmental but social too. For example, we have established a voluntary fee for tourists who want to access any Tara Bandu. We are trying to outweigh the impact that the Tara Bandu has when it restricts access to certain fishing grounds, by increasing monetary gain of the protected area, giving the locals a share of the tourism revenue.

Want to know more?

As the DMO of Ataúro, we aim to generate revenue from tourism without harming the environment or the local culture. We work to ensure that we are building a sustainable form of tourism. We want to encompass as many stakeholders as possible along with respect for the environment. The Tara Bandu areas have an enormous potential to reach our conservation goals. Hopefully, one day our management model can be replicated or translated into other environmental protection areas in other countries. 

If this blog has awakened your interest, come see the Tara Bandu protection areas for yourself. To learn more about our work, visit our website and contact us to book a tour, a weekend trip or even a whole week package of diving and adventures. We are happy to accommodate different types of tourists as our lovely island has activities for all! If you want to know more about Tara Bandu, read the success story on Green Destination’s page. 

— Tetum bellow–

Introdusaun  Ataúro no ATKOMA 

Asosiasaun Turizmu Koleku Mahanak Ataúro (ATKOMA) hamrik iha tinan 2000 liu husi  assembleia ida defensor sira turizmu local atu dezenvolve turizmu ida nebe iha impaktu kiik iha Timor-Leste. Grupu ne’e kompostu husi fornecedores turizmu nian no reprezentantes husi komunidade nebe mak defende turizmu ida sustentável no hakarak hare Ataúro sai destinu ekoturizmu klasse mundial. Grupu ne’e mós defende estabilidade ekonômika nune’e mós sustentabilidade atu garante katak  indústria turizmu apoia povu Ataúro.

Ho maneira krítica, turizmu sustentável laos deit lori vizitante sira mai iha destinasaun; nomós foku povu Ataúro em primeiru lugar no importante, garante katak turizmu kontribui pozitivamente ba kultura no natureza fatin ne’e nian. Hanesan organizasaun dahuluk no únika ba Jestaun Destinasaun Illa ne’e nian, ATKOMA konsentra ninia tempu barak liu iha marketing destinasaun, treinamentu no akonselhamentu iha turizmu, peskiisa, planeamentu, dezenvolvimentu no advokasia.

ATKOMA mak parseiru perfeitu viajem nian atu ajuda halo planu ba ita bo’ot ninia vizita tuir mai ba Ataúro. Nu entantu, blogu ida ne’e em particular dedika atu hakerek parseria ida nebe iha antes liu ATKOMA: relasaun entre tasi, mota no foho Ataúro nian no ema sira nebe kuidadu sira husi otas ba otas. Ho rekoñesimentu foin lalais ne’e ba Illa Ataúro nu’udar  Top 100 História Sustentabilidade husi Green Destinations, blogu ida ne’e dedika atu diskute prátika Tara Bandu, ajuda ami nian leitor sira kompriende história sucessu ne’e no papel importante ATKOMA nian.

Tara Bandu – Ami nian história sustentabilidade

Iha tempu antigu Timor-Leste nian, Tara Bandu mak termu ida uza atu deskreve proibisaun. Lainfuan ne’e traduz ba bandu hodi tara no agora reckama iha Ataúro atu determina área protesaun natural. Desde inísiu husi processu reativasaun tradisaun antiga ne’e, ATKOMA envolve kedas ona husi besik atu garante ninia sucessu social no ambiental. Iha tinan lima ikus ne’e, Ataúro garante ona demarkasaun zona 13 hanesan área mariña protejida ho Tara Bandu iha illa tomak. Iha área sira ne’e,  regras konservasaun nian delimita husi Konsellu Suco no husi komitê ko-jestaun komunidade nian. Esforsu sira balun preservasaun nian inklui zona proibida ida, haleu ho área tampaun ida nebe ninia restrisaun sira la-dun ríjidu. Regras balun zona proibisaun kaptura nian inklui: Labele peska, Ro-ahi sira la-autoriza atu halai ka hatun ankor, exseptu ba kazu sira nebe hetan aprovasaun husi konsellu.

To’o agora, área protejida sira Tara Bandu nian, iha ona aumentu ba biodiversidade no rejenerasaun husi tipu oin-oin vida mariña, hanesan ahu-ruin no espécies ikan balun. Tara Bandu mak história sucessu ambiental no ekonômiku, hanesan impostu sira nebe kobra liu US $ 10.000 tinan-tinan husi turistas sira tamba uza área tara bandu iha suco balun illa Ataúro. Ho paralizasaun/taka foin lalais ne’e tamba COVID-19, sustenta área sira ne’e dezafia tebes, maibe komunidade sira hatudu sira tradisaun kultural no kontinua mantem fatin sira ne’e nu’udar santuáriu ba moris diak.

Avaliasaun Sustentabilidade Ataúro nian

Atu kompete iha Top 100 husi Green Destination, ATKOMA tenki aplika hodi Illa Ataúro nia naran atu submete ba verifikasaun sustentabilidade rigorozu, kritériu hamutuk 30 no indikadores 6 no “Valor Sustentabilidade nian” global ida ita nian destinasaun. Avaliasaun mak forma ida importante ba ita atu hare, iha nebe mak ita sucessu ona no iha nebe ita bele hadiak nu’udar destinasaun ida. Hare exemplu balun husi kategoria sira nebe hetan analisa no oinsa ATKOMA ita hein atu melhora:

• Koordenasaun destinasaun sustentável, patrimôniu kultural tanjível no  konservasaun natureza: mak  kritériu sira nebe Ataúro hetan diak liu husi kontribuisaun Tara Bandu. Nu entantu, ita kontinua esforsu atu mantem ita nian dezempeñu diak iha área sira ne’e.
• Apoiu negosiante local no satisfasaun ema Ataúro: ita nian destinasaun hetan valor lijeiramente kiik ba indikador sira ne’e no ATKOMA halo serbisu oinsa hadiak ita nian dezempeñu. Pur exemplu, ami serbisu maka’as atu atrai empreza local sira atu kolabora ho ami. Bainhira sai hanesan membru ona, empreza no  emprezáriu sira bele iha certeza katak sei rona sira nian demanda no sei hetan promosaun hanesan ami nian parseiru..

Envolvimentu komunidade iha planeamentu: Ida ne’e indikador ikus liu, nebe mak ita tenki serbisu maka’as atu hadiak. Envolvimentu komunidade nian nu’udar pilar fundador ida ATKOMA nian, ita haka’s an oinsa garante katak rezultadu sira husi Tara Bandu laos deit ba ambiente maibe mós ba social. Pur exemplu, ami estabelese taxa voluntária ba turistas nebe mak hakarak ba iha kualker área Tara Bandu nian. Ami mós tenta atu supera impaktu bainhira Tara Bandu restrinje/limita accessu ba fatin peskas nian, hodi aumenta rendimentu osan husi área protejida, fo ba populasaun sira parte husi receita turizmu nian. 

Hakarak hatene barak liu tan?

Nu’udar Organizasaun Jestaun Destinasaun Ataúro nian, ami iha objetivu atu hetan receita husi turizmu sem estraga meiu ambiente ka kultura local. Ami serbisu la-kolen atu garante katak ita dezenvolve forma turizmu ida sustentável nebe engloba númeru barak possível husi partes interessadas no respeita meiu ambiente. Iha áreas Tara Bandu nian, ami hare potencia bo’ot atu atinje ita nian objetivu. Ami espera katak loron ruma ita nian modelu jestaun nian bele replika ka traduz ba área seluk protesaun ambiental iha nasaun sira seluk.

Se blogu ne’e hamosu ita bo’ot ninia interesse, entaun mai koñese no hare rasik áreas protesaun Tara Bandu. Atu hatene liu tan ami nian serbisu, vizita ami nian website no kontaktu atu marka passeiu ida, iha fim de semana ka pakote semana ida tomak husi luku-tasi no aventura sira. Ami haksolok atu akomoda tipu turistas oi-oin, tamba ami nian illa doben iha aktividades ba ema hotu! Se Ita bo’ot hakarak hatene barak liu tan kona-ba Tara Bandu, lê história sucessu iha pájina Green Destination nian.