From Dili to K’gari: Dioneya Soares experiences the customer journey firsthand, strengthening her understanding of the tourism products she helps promote.
“I remember once a customer asked me how far it was to walk from River Heads to Kingfisher Bay Resort, or how long it would take to get from the resort to attractions like Lake McKenzie. I didn’t know how to answer. I had to Google it,” recalls Dioneya Soares, reflecting on her first few months working at APAC Tourism.
APAC Tourism is Timor-Leste’s first call centre. Established in 2025, it provides reservation, customer support and data management services for Australian tourism and hospitality businesses, with calls handled by Dioneya and her colleagues based in Dili.
Although Dioneya helped customers plan Australian travel experiences with the booking systems, good customer service requires more than information; it also means understanding the experience from the customer’s perspective.
“It is really hard to sell our products, when we haven’t actually seen them ourselves”, says Dioneya, speaking to MDF.
To help bridge this gap, Dioneya travelled to K’gari in Queensland, Australia, in May for a customer site visit with K’gari Explorer Tours, Kingfisher Bay Resort and K’gari Beach Resort, made possible through a collaboration between APAC Tourism and Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) program.
For someone who usually works through emails, phone calls and online bookings, the trip offered a rare chance to step beyond the headset and experience the customer journey firsthand. Over the course of the 5-day visit, Dioneya stayed at both resorts, joined a two-day island tour and visited the reservations office in Hervey Bay.
The visit gave Dioneya a closer look at the details behind each guest experience, from accommodation and tours to transfers and reservations.
A firsthand experience
For the first time, she saw how accommodation, transfers, tours, customer service and reservations come together to create a seamless visitor experience.
“On this trip, I was able to see the full customer journey. It made me realise how small details, such as timing, communication and coordination, can shape the entire experience,” she says.
The visit also gave Dioneya practical knowledge that she could apply immediately in her role. Rather than relying solely on the brochures or booking notes that are provided to call centre staff, she now understands fully the products and services from her own personal experience.
Sometimes, it is the smallest details that matter most.
“Some of our customers prefer to prepare their own meals in their rooms instead of dining at the restaurant. Knowing exactly where the fridge, microwave and other facilities are located in the resort helps me assist them much more effectively,” Dioneya explains.
The opportunity was particularly valuable in an industry where women make up a significant share of the workforce but often have limited access to hands-on industry exposure and professional networks. By learning directly from Australian tourism operators and observing day-to-day operations, Dioneya gained a deeper understanding of how different services work together to deliver a positive guest experience.
“I have gained a good understanding of the products we sell. I also developed a strong knowledge of the locations and how the tours operate, from the pick-up point to the island”, she says
Meeting tourism teams in person helped Dioneya build practical knowledge, confidence and stronger connections with the services she supports remotely.
Emerging opportunities in Timor-Leste
Beyond strengthening her own skills, the experience highlights the opportunities for Timorese professionals to participate in international service industries. As call centre services are new in Timor-Leste, building workers’ knowledge, confidence and exposure to global industries is increasingly important.
Michaela Hay, APAC Tourism’s General Manager in Australia, said the visit also strengthened the partnership they have with business owners.
“Teams from K’gari Explorer Tours, Kingfisher Bay Resort and K’gari Beach Resort were delighted to meet Dioneya in person, and her professionalism, enthusiasm and genuine interest left a strong impression”, she said
The experience is expected to help her apply practical improvements in partner support, customer communication and service delivery, ultimately contributing to stronger visitor experiences and business relationships.
“Through this experience, I realised that knowledge comes not only from training or information systems, but from seeing things for yourself and understanding them from the customer’s perspective,” she reflects. “The more we learn, the better we can serve others. That is something I will carry with me throughout my career.”
All in all, while still nascent, Timor-Leste’s call centre industry presents an opportunity to diversify the economy and create new forms of employment for its growing workforce. By building practical skills, international exposure and strong customer service capabilities, today’s workers are helping lay the foundations for the sector’s future.
_____
About MDF
Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) helps countries in the Indo-Pacific region to grow through improved productivity, economic diversification, competitiveness and trade.
MDF helps government and business partners to identify markets that have high potential to grow, be profitable, and deliver social and environmental value.
MDF supports catalytic innovation in these markets by co-investing with local and international partners to reduce the costs and risks of early-stage commercial opportunities. This accelerates progress to profitability and scale.
Our aim is to do good by supporting good business. MDF supports business investment and innovation that reduces poverty, economically empowers women and combats climate change.
MDF is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and is implemented by Palladium in partnership with Swisscontact.