Destination brand building for emerging nations: the case of Timor-Leste

This thesis applies destination branding techniques to the half-island nation of Timor-Leste. Two stages of qualitative research inform this work. First, semi-structured interviews and focus groups elicit the views of Timor-Leste’s leading tourism stakeholders. Second, a qualitative survey with a consumer audience in Australia enables an assessment of a proposed destination brand and, more broadly, the effectiveness of branding in an emerging nation. The findings suggest that destination branding can have a positive effect on the negative image of Timor-Leste. It is argued that branding is a powerful tool, capable of managing a destination’s image and growing international tourism.