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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
July 2022 CEO Update
Tropical North Queensland has a starring role in a new South Korean reality television series and Irish star Ronan Keating will be bringing his family to Port Douglas to showcase the destination through his social media channels as part of our international marketing.
29 June 2022 CEO Update
Strong spending by visitors has brought a record $3 billion tourism expenditure boost to the Tropical North Queensland economy.
June 2022 CEO Update
Cairns has earned the reputation as the best place in the world for wildlife viewing and the third best for diving and snorkelling, according to the latest Destination Think! Tourism Sentiment Index.
May 2022 CEO Update
The TTNQ sales and marketing team and more than 70 member products flew the flag for Cairns & Great Barrier Reef at the Australian Tourism Exchange in Sydney this week.
April 2022 CEO Update
Easter was busy across the region with 94,000 passengers passing through Cairns Airport last week and 77,000 during the first week of the Queensland school holidays. Cairns has not seen this domestic air capacity since 2018.
March 2022 CEO Update
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given high praise to TTNQ when outlining why our destination marketing organisation has received one-quarter of the $60 million Federal funding allocated to international tourism recovery.
February 2022 CEO Update
There was a collective sigh of relief when Australia’s international borders opened on Monday allowing the tourism industry to plan ahead with the certainty we have been craving over the past two years.
January 2022 CEO Update
International education and working holiday makers are back and leisure travel is looking tantalising close as the tourism industry waits for the Federal Government to expand the number of visa categories allowed to enter Australia.
December 2021 CEO Update
Queensland’s barriers have finally lifted for domestic travel and international visitation is just around the corner as our industry nervously waits to gauge the consumer confidence in travel for early 2022.
November 2021 CEO Update
Congratulations to the winners and finalists at the Queensland Tourism Awards in Brisbane last week. It was inspiring to see 21 Tropical North Queensland products had made the enormous effort to enter the awards during one of the most challenging years our industry has faced.
October 2021 CEO Update
The Premier’s announcement of 17 December as the date for the reopening of Queensland’s borders is welcome news. It will give confidence to consumers and a compelling reason for the community to be vaccinated.
September 2021 CEO Update
Will a Tropical North Queensland tourism operator win the RACQ People’s Choice Awards in the Queensland Tourism Awards this year? I hope so and we can help by voting for them.
August 2021 CEO Update
TTNQ is urging the State and Federal Governments to work together on wage support assistance similar to the JobSaver program offered by the New South Wales Government in conjunction with the Commonwealth.
July 2021 CEO Update
TTNQ recognises the impact that school holiday lockdowns have caused Cairns & Great Barrier Reef tourism operators with losses of $3-5 million a day in the region.
#ExploreTNQ
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Is this heaven? Not quite, but @lizardisland is pretty close! 😍💭
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@silkyoakslodge is home to some incredible scenery, it’s no wonder why this @portdouglasdaintree retreat is a fan favourite 🌴🥂
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#MillaaMillaaFalls just gets better every time! When you're visiting the @athertontablelands next, don't forget to add this glorious waterfall to the bucket list 😍🌴
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Here in @tropicalnorthqueensland we’re incredibly lucky to live alongside some amazing creatures, but it’s important to know how to stay safe while you’re exploring! 🌴🐊
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Welcome to paradise or what we like to call @thalabeach 😍 This unique Nature Reserve is located between Cairns & @portdouglasdaintree and is home to over 700 coconut palms 🌴🥥 If ...

Stay palm and @visitpalmcove 😉🌴
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Did you know that @australia used to be largely a rainforest-clad continent? 🌿🌱 The @wettropicsworldheritage rainforest is the oldest remaining patch of this ancient forest, estimated to be over...

Pick your favourite waterfall on the @athertontablelands, we’re starting with #EmeraldCreekFalls 🙌🌴
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Say hello to island time at @bedarraisland 🌴💆
This exclusive paradise is just waiting to shower you with incredible activities, brilliant food & breathtaking views over the ...
