CEO & Board Updates

The CEO and Board provide regular updates to members and stakeholders on TTNQ’s activities and the state of the industry. These are included in TTNQ’s member newsletters.

CEO-Board Updates
24 Jul 2024
July 2024 CEO Update

Early results from TTNQ’s global campaigns are showing an incredible 37:1 return on investment with $82 million in overnight visitor expenditure already reaped from 51 international campaigns and another 44 campaigns yet to be reported on.

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CEO-Board Updates
29 May 2024
May 2024 CEO Update

Team Tropical North Queensland held more than 7000 appointments to promote the destination in Melbourne last week at the Australian Tourism Exchange 2024. Our destination was represented at 48 booths with 86 delegates attending the four days of trade appointments and events, in addition to meetings with aviation partners and media.

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CEO-Board Updates
1 May 2024
May 2024 CEO Update

Tropical North Queensland’s events calendar is in full swing with 100 community heroes from across the country attending the world-first Savannah Sounds on the Reef featuring Sheppard and Lee Kernaghan at the Reef Magic pontoon on Saturday.

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CEO-Board Updates
3 Apr 2024
April 2024 CEO Update

The new Singapore Airlines A350 service touched down in Cairns this week bringing with it the opportunity to progress Tropical North Queensland’s international recovery.

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CEO-Board Updates
6 Mar 2024
March 2024 CEO Update

TTNQ has launched a Sustainability Leaders Group as part of our vision for Tropical North Queensland to be the leader in ecotourism in Australia and our mission for every visitor to leave our destination as a custodian of the region’s stories.

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CEO-Board Updates
7 Feb 2024
February 2024 CEO Update

With Cape Tribulation still inaccessible, forward bookings in Port Douglas well down and Cairns still behind previous years, it is essential that everything gets thrown at helping Tropical North Queensland tourism operators who face a very tough end of summer season.

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CEO-Board Updates
10 Jan 2024
January 2024 CEO Update

Tourism Tropical North Queensland has been advocating for industry support since 10 December when Tropical Cyclone Jasper was looming and to date we have done more than 40 media appearances to let decision-makers and visitors know where help is needed.

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CEO-Board Updates
15 Nov 2023
November 2023 CEO Update

Tourism Tropical North Queensland has launched our first global trade campaigns for the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef brand partnering with Expedia and Trip.com for activity in seven key international markets. The global campaigns are among more than 20 campaigns utilising the Federal Government’s $15 million International Tourism Recovery Program funding.

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CEO-Board Updates
18 Oct 2023
October 2023 CEO Update

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef received a resounding thumbs up from the 300 Aussie Specialists at G’Day Australia at the Cairns Convention Centre last week, while familiarisation tours before and after the event generated $2 million for Tropical North Queensland’s visitor economy.

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CEO-Board Updates
20 Sep 2023
September 2023 CEO Update

The positive impact of tourism on the environment and local community was emphasised at TTNQ’s first international media showcase in Japan last week attended by 25 Japanese media.

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CEO-Board Updates
23 Aug 2023
August 2023 CEO Update

There is much excitement in the industry about the prospect of the return of Tropical North Queensland’s once-strong Chinese visitor numbers before Chinese New Year after a week of good news from the China market.

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CEO-Board Updates
26 Jul 2023
July 2023 CEO Update

Tropical North Queensland’s international recovery is well underway with the significant milestone of 10,000 passengers reached earlier this month, marking the busiest week for Cairns’ international terminal since February 2020.

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CEO-Board Updates
28 Jun 2023
June 2023 CEO Update

High-spending Sydney visitors helped to grow interstate travel to Tropical North Queensland for the year ending March 2023 generating a $2.6 billion boost to the economy, according to Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey figures released today.

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CEO-Board Updates
14 Jun 2023
June 2023 CEO Update

The upcoming year presents the greatest opportunity our destination has ever had to influence international visitors to choose Cairns & Great Barrier Reef for their next holiday.

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CEO-Board Updates
31 May 2023
May 2023 CEO Update

We are nearly half way through the Year of Accessible Tourism and I am delighted to see more operators thinking about how they can be more inclusive. Congratulations to Quicksilver Dive in Port Douglas on becoming the first PADI Adaptive Service Facility in Queensland opening up scuba to people with varying levels of mobility.

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CEO-Board Updates
2 May 2023
May 2023 CEO Update

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has an enormous legacy in China thanks to the long-established relationships with our operators and TTNQ’s active engagement over many years. This was demonstrated in the warm reception that China Sales and Marketing Manager Harriet Ganfield and I received as part of the Team Queensland Mission to China.

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CEO-Board Updates
5 Apr 2023
April 2023 CEO Update

Global Meetings Day was celebrated on 30 March, coinciding with a milestone week in the recovery of the business events industry for Tropical North Queensland where we showcased our destination’s capabilities to host sustainable meetings, conferences and incentives.

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CEO-Board Updates
7 Mar 2023
March 2023 CEO Update

The announcement that Cairns will host Tourism Australia’s mega event G’Day Australia bringing more than 300 Aussie Specialists into our region in October is exciting news that will assist with the destination’s international recovery.

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CEO-Board Updates
22 Feb 2023
February 2023 CEO Update

Tourism is all about working together as an industry to market a destination and I’m pleased to see more evidence of this as 2023 unfolds. Collaboration, networking and partnerships are key to maximising opportunities and stretching valuable marketing dollars even further in a very crowded global marketplace.

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CEO-Board Updates
25 Jan 2023
January 2023 CEO Update

China’s announcement that its border would open on January 8 was a welcome New Year surprise bringing instant optimism that international travel would have a better chance of rebounding in the coming year.

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CEO-Board Updates
14 Dec 2022
December 2022 CEO Update

Virgin Australia will launch direct flights from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Cairns from 28 June 2023 bringing more than 30,000 additional visitors to Tropical North Queensland as a result of the first Cairns Airport deal through the Queensland Government’s $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

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CEO-Board Updates
2 Nov 2022
November 2022 CEO Update

Budget night last week was one of the more memorable in my career as I received the call from Senators Don Farrell and Nita Green finally confirming that our destination would receive the promised $15 million in international destination marketing funds over the next three years.

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CEO-Board Updates
20 Oct 2022
October 2022 CEO Update

A strong majority of local government representatives have put their support behind further investigation of an opt-in visitor levy for local governments with 85% of attendees at the Queensland Local Government Conference voting for it in Cairns yesterday.

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CEO-Board Updates
21 Sep 2022
September 2022 CEO Update

Visitors with accessibility challenges account for some 15-20% of global tourism. Research by Tourism Australia has shown that accessible tourism can be a game changer for destinations that will assist with post-pandemic recovery by building industry resilience.

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CEO-Board Updates
24 Aug 2022
August 2022 CEO Update

TTNQ and 22 member businesses were the largest contingent at Tourism Australia’s Marketplace North America this month, meeting with 80 trade representatives to promote Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

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#ExploreTNQ

Swapping snow for sand and rocking boardies around a palm fringed Christmas tree A T Wishing you all a very sunny Christmas from the tropics #exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #seeaustralia #thisisqueensland 

[ID: Split screen featuring the same dance to a Christmas song. One side shows a single person dancing on a beach, while the other shows two people dancing in front of a crocodile exhibit.]
Who needs snow when you have got sunshine, snorkels and Christmas rashies? 🌊☀️ This is how we do the holidays in #exploreTNQ. #GBR adventures with a side of festive cheer. Santa might need fins to keep up. 🐠🎅

Check out the hottest summer deals here ☝ (link in bio ➡️ deals) 

📸: @reef_unlimited 

ID: Two snorkellers wearing festive Christmas rash vests prepare to enter clear blue water near the boat named “Dreamtime Snorkel”. The split-level photo shows their fins underwater and the boat in the background under a bright blue sky.
🌿 Let us show you some of nature’s greatest hits… buckle in, it’s a wild ride. 🌊

In order of appearance:
Yule Point, Port Douglas 🌅
Cannabulen Falls 💦
Kalaphine Rock (Lamb’s Head) 🏞️
Babinda Falls 🌊
Mossman Bluff ⛰️

🎥: @evjocks 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia
@queensland 
@australia 

ID: A video showing locations in Tropical North Queensland. Mangroves at Yule Point, Port Douglas during sunrise, the flowing waters of Cannabulen Falls surrounded by rainforest, the peak of Kalaphine Rock (Lamb’s Head) above the trees, Babinda Falls rushing through a rocky gorge and the cliffs of Mossman Bluff with rainforest in the background.
🪸🐠 Experience the biggest plate coral on North Opal Reef with our Master Reef Guides on @wavelengthreefcruises 

Like all @masterreefguides we believe sharing wonders like this on the Great Barrier Reef is a great honour! 🩵

#explorecairnsgbr #exploretnq #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia 

🎥 @tahnmiller 

[ID: Master Reef Guide snorkelling in between large plate coral on the Great Barrier Reef]
From reef to runway, @cairnsfashionweek has landed in the heart of the tropics 🪸👠

Six days of cutting-edge fashion, set against the stunning backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, where breathtaking landscapes and bold styles collide. See you on the catwalk! Book your tickets now – Ends Sunday!

#ExploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR  #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia

[ID: Behind-the-scenes footage of Cairns Fashion Week, featuring interviews with models and designers, alongside runway highlights.]
The greatest LOVE STORY is happening on the Great Barrier Reef right now ❤️
 
Trillions of coral eggs and sperm unite in an underwater snowstorm, setting the stage for the ultimate (coral) baby boom 🪸✨ AKA: Coral Spawning
 
And this year, it’s getting a helping hand! A team from @australianmarinescience is training Cairns and @portdouglasdaintree marine industries in the cutting-edge Coral IVF technique. These tiny bundles of life will then be planted on reefs affected by bleaching 🩵🐠
 
With Coral IVF boosting fertilisation success rates by 100 times, the program is supporting the future of our @gbrmarinepark
 
#ExploreTNQ #ExploreCairnsGBR #ThisIsQueensland #SeeAustralia
 
[ID Video showcasing coral spawning taking place on the Great Barrier Reef, which looks like a beautiful snowstorm of coral eggs and sperm uniting]
Galloping into the week like… 

The views are better on horseback in the #DaintreeRainforest 💚 Join @capetribhorserides to ride beneath the rainforest canopy and into the clear blue shallows of @portdouglasdaintree #CapeTribulation

🎥 @australia 

#ExploreTNQ #ExploreCairnsGBR #SeeAustralia #ComeAndSayGday #ThisIsQueensland

[ID: Text over video reads “POV: Exploring the Daintree Rainforest on horseback” over a montage of videos showing a group of people riding horses in a line through lush green rainforest, over streams and across a flat, sandy shoreline.]