This success, like so many, is a result of the unrelenting hard work of our industry and the team at TTNQ. You should all feel proud that your belief in the future of our destination is paying such significant dividends.
My proudest achievement is facilitating the development of a highly effective and collaborative executive team and fostering the development of a positive and productive work culture at TTNQ. As a result, your team at TTNQ self manages on the basis of agreed and understood values, rather than policies, and is focused, not only on delivering results, but how they go about doing so.
The TTNQ team has chalked up a formidable portfolio of achievements over the past three and a half years, including:
- Developing the strategy to position Tropical North Queensland as Australia’s Resort Holiday Destination.
- Lobbying the State Government for 2.5 years to facilitate the establishment of the Connecting with Asia Fund and securing funding to negotiate direct services from China.
- Creating an initiative to manage the global message of the Great Barrier Reef which resulted in the establishment of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
- Building a third pillar to support our global destination brand with the launch of Timeless Experiences, our Indigenous tourism brand.
- Securing a $3 million investment from Cairns Regional Council in TTNQ’s strategic focus to grow visitation to the region and validating this investment with above target returns.
- Undertaking a supply and demand analysis and using this data to secure investors including the GA Group which has three hotels under construction.
- Building the TTNQ membership base and achieving a 98 per cent retention rate.
- Developing and delivering the Tourism Innovation Conference in 2015 to build confidence in investment in our community.
- Being host destination of the “best ever” Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) in 2014.
- Leveraging the success of the direct SilkAir flights from Singapore.
- My next adventure is with Greyhound Australia, working with its team to build an even stronger future that delivers one-of-a-kind experiences and enthrals its customers. Tropical North Queensland will certainly have a place in Greyhound’s future.
Cheers
Alex
Alex de Waal
Chief Executive Officer