Two different opportunities await Tropical North Queensland as we edge further along the much talked about green and gold pathway to 2032.
More than half of the world’s population will turn their attention to the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games giving our destination the opportunity to inspire visitation, while the predicted $8 billion economic lift for Queensland means every business should be turning their thoughts towards being part of the procurement process.
What does this mean for the Tropical North Queensland tourism industry? How can we stand out to the half a million live spectators and the 5 billion people watching on TV? How can we capitalise on key moments starting with LA handing the Games over to Queensland in 2028 through to the Olympic Torch touring our destination?
With 2500 bookable tourism experiences we have a lot to talk about, but we are going to have to stand out as those 5 billion people will have many things vying for their attention.
The first thing that will make us stand out is being home the world’s oldest living culture. Tropical North Queensland is blessed to be the only place to have both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people practising and sharing their culture on Country. We are also blessed to have the most First Nations tourism product of any destination in Australia and the busiest regional international airport giving direct access to these cultures.
The most trusted and known brand in tourism in Queensland is the Great Barrier Reef. It is the icon that everyone knows – much more famous than Brisbane and the Gold Coast – and Cairns is the gateway to this World Heritage area. Quicksilver took the torch underwater to showcase the Great Barrier Reef ahead of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and that footage has been shown millions of times.
How can we showcase this iconic brand to the 2032 audience? We want Tropical North Queensland to be part of the footage and the live events at each of these eyeball moments in a way that makes viewers reach for their phone to ask: “How do I buy that experience?”
The economic boost is expected to bring a $4.6 billion increase in tourism and trade to Queensland. How do you tap into that? We want our produce on the plate and our products in the packages as well as our destination on the screens.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland is seeking opportunities to host association conferences that would normally go to Brisbane and other capital cities, giving delegates the opportunity to continue to do business in Queensland while our capital is busy with the world’s largest sporting event.
We also want a legacy from this opportunity that extends beyond the infrastructure we hope the Games bring. We need to make sure tourism is never a problem like it is in some places around the world struggling with overtourism. We can do that by ensuring every visitor contributes to conservation. Through the Games, the legacy we want to create is that every visitor becomes actively involved in the conservation of our natural environment and contributes to the preservation of the world’s oldest living culture. Our promise for visitors to See Great and Leave Greater should inspire thoughtful visitation.
I joined Cairns Mayor Amy Eden and Advance Cairns Chair Luke Baird in a recent panel hosted by the Business Chamber Queensland CEO Heidi Cooper discussing the decade of opportunities for Queensland businesses in the lead up to, and wake of, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Men’s and Women’s Rugby World Cup. The halo effect of these events is our focus, and I encourage our members to think about how they can get involved.
As a co-host city, a lot of work is already taking place to prepare for how Cairns and the region will best leverage this international event. If you want to grow your business, you need to educate yourself now on how to be involved. Small and medium businesses can get involved by demonstrating their capabilities to the Olympics procurement team who can match them with other businesses to help fulfil a contract. Head to the Growth Hub on the Business Chamber Queensland website for more information.
Cheers,
Mark Olsen
Chief Executive Officer