In 1975 Australia was on the cusp of its tourism revolution and at the forefront was the Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau, preceding the State tourism organisation and arguably the first regional tourism organisation in the country.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland was born from that organisation and as we mark our 50th anniversary we look back to learn the lessons of the past five decades.
George Chapman was the first Chairman and Bill Cummings the first General Manager of the Far North Queensland Development Bureau Limited when it was registered under the Corporations Act on 12 September 1975, changing its name to the Far North Queensland Promotions Bureau Limited in 1978 to reflect the realisation that the region’s fortunes were increasingly tied to tourism.
The name Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) was adopted in 1998 to match the new destination marketing name of Tropical North Queensland but was not registered as the company name until 11 January 2023 when the constitution was changed.
Both Bill and George have continued to have an active role in tourism over the past 50 years, and we are so grateful for the vision and expertise of George, Bill and the original Board to understand the market and grow our economy.
The success of the past 50 years comes from the organisation knowing their customers and knowing what sets our destination apart in the customer’s mind. There are thousands of segments and sub-segments in tourism, and you can’t be everything to everyone. It also comes down to great promotions and being a little bit cheeky to get noticed.
Being a successful tourism organisation is all about organising – know what you are talking about, know where you are going, know where you can make a difference and do it together. You must pull the industry in together to make it work and we have been fortunate that our tourism community has been led by businesspeople who understood that – sell the destination first and your business will reap the rewards.
Of course, connectivity is everything – you have to be able to get them here. Our success has been closely aligned with aviation with the local fight led by George alongside a group of visionaries to get an international airport for Cairns. The opening of the Cairns International Airport on 31 March 1984 was a game changer that sparked substantial hotel development with room stock exploding from 1700 to almost 2700 in just three years turning tourism into a $175 million industry that accounted for 19 per cent of the region’s economy.
While Cairns Airport was the turning point for tourism in Tropical North Queensland, it was the passion of innovative people like George and Bill who helped to shape today’s $4.5 billion industry which is now responsible for one in six jobs. Tourism has generated employment, business opportunities, and plays an increasingly important role in conservation and regeneration as well as relaxation.
I invite you to join TTNQ on October 24 for the annual TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards at the Cairns Convention Centre which will be even more special this year as we celebrate our organisation’s 50 years of history and the visionaries in our community who knew how to work together.
We stand on the shoulders of giants.
Mark Olsen
Chief Executive Officer
(Photo credit: Cairns Post)