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
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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CEO-Board Updates
27 Jul 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
29 Jun 2022
29 June 2022 CEO Update

Strong spending by visitors has brought a record $3 billion tourism expenditure boost to the Tropical North Queensland economy.

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CEO-Board Updates
15 Jun 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
18 May 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
20 Apr 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
23 Mar 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
23 Feb 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
27 Jan 2022
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
15 Dec 2021
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
17 Nov 2021
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
20 Oct 2021
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
8 Sep 2021
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
11 Aug 2021
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.

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CEO-Board Updates
14 Jul 2021
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.

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#ExploreTNQ

Got your tropical hotel fix yet? Stay palm because we've got you covered 🌴

Nothing says holiday vibes quite like a poolside cocktail in @portdouglasdaintree 🍹☀️ If you’re craving a taste of tropics on your holiday to the north, head to @sheratongrandportdouglas & relax in the most luxurious hotel you’ll ever see 😍 Sit for a sip by the pool with the stylishly refurbished swim up bar, or try something from the fresh bites menu, full of local seafood & modern Australian cuisine 🦐🍊

📸 @sheratongrandportdouglas #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #portdouglasdaintree
Is this heaven? Not quite, but @lizardisland is pretty close! 😍💭

Imagine a luxurious getaway to a secluded island with epic hikes, crystal-clear water, vibrant coral reefs and more 🙌 🏝

Let us know your favourite tropical island activities? 👇

📸 @thegreenertwo #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia
#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 😍🌴

📸 @_fairytalegirl #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #athertontablelands #seeaustralia
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! 🌴🐊

Our friends at @cairnszoom are here to show you how to be crocwise in crocodile country 🙌

#exploretnq #explorecairnsgbr
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 you're looking for a slice of the tropics, look no further ☀️

📸 @janevisuals #exploreTNQ #exploreCairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #portdouglasdaintree
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 180million years old 😲  That’s why you’ll find some of the most primitive flora & fauna species here. In fact, there are 700 endemic species within the World Heritage Area that can’t be found anywhere else in the world 🌏

📸 @reubennutt #exploreTNQ #ExplorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia
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 @gbrmarinepark 🥰🥂

📸 via @bedarraisland #exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia #cassowarycoast