Latest News & Media Releases

Keep up to date with the latest news from TTNQ. The following are the most recent media releases for both the media, travel writers and tourism trade.

Media Releases
3 Jun 2025
Vale Robbie Bastion

TNQ tourism industry mourns the passing of one of its legends.

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Media Releases
1 May 2025
May is the month of Masters in Cairns

May is the month of Masters in Tropical North Queensland with hockey teams, mountain bikers and an array of athletes arriving in Cairns to swim, run, play netball, and compete in new events like pickleball at three key sporting championships that together will inject $9.4 million into the region.

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Media Releases
22 Apr 2025
Great Barrier Reef nominated for global environmental award

The Great Barrier Reef has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award in the United Nations Environment Programme’s highly regarded Champions of the Earth environmental awards.

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Media Releases
18 Mar 2025
Superyachts choose Cairns for year-round base

Cairns Marlin Marina will be the home base for three superyachts with the arrival of the Morris Nautical’s M.Y. Northern Escape, M.Y Flying Fish and M.Y Beluga highlighting the city’s capabilities as a superyacht hub.

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Media Releases
17 Feb 2025
Inaugural tourism sustainability report documents priorities

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) has published its first annual Sustainability Report charting the extensive work undertaken to guide the industry towards reducing carbon emissions and contributing to the local environment and community.

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Media Releases
3 Feb 2025
Tourism industry digs in to restore tree kangaroo habitat

A second hectare of tree kangaroo habitat has been planted today by the tourism industry as part of Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s partnership with Reforest to connect the industry with local carbon removal and ecosystem restoration.

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Media Releases
29 Jan 2025
Record-breaking Cairns airfare sale returns

Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Webjet are working together again to offer discounted airfares to Cairns for travel until the end of May 2025 with up to $125 off interstate flights and $100 off intrastate flights after a record-breaking sale late last year.

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Media Releases
20 Nov 2024
Fiji Airways route to entice North Americans to Cairns

The announcement by Fiji Airways today (November 20) that it will launch direct services to Cairns from April 10 will speed up recovery from the North American market, according to Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ).

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Media Releases
14 Nov 2024
New training program to inspire exceptional guest experiences

Everyone involved in welcoming guests to Tropical North Queensland is set to benefit from the new Tropical North Queensland Welcomes You program.

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Media Releases
26 Oct 2024
Tourism Tropical North Queensland awards excellence

The Tropical North Queensland tourism industry recognised its innovative people and products at the 2024 Expedia Group TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards at the Screen Queensland Studio in Cairns on October 25.

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Media Releases
17 Oct 2024
Tourism Tropical North Queensland triples funding value

Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s ability to multiply the value of funding through strategic partnerships continued in 2023-24 by generating $177.8 million in domestic and international visitor expenditure and a record $300 million in advertising value equivalent including $123 million in publicity.

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Media Releases
16 Oct 2024
TNQ tourism industry identifies growth potential

The Tropical North Queensland tourism sector could become a $7.5 billion industry by 2032 supporting an extra 12,500 regional jobs and contributing an additional $780 million in tax revenue per annum.

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Media Releases
11 Oct 2024
Vale Sir Frank Moore

Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen paid tribute to Sir Frank Moore, the father of tourism in Queensland, who passed away yesterday (October 10).

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Media Releases
9 Oct 2024
Cairns airfare sale to boost shoulder season visitation

More than 4400 Aussies have booked flights to Cairns in just 36 hours following a partnership between Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Webjet to increase visitation to the region from November through to May.

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Media Releases
8 Oct 2024
Cruise sector booms in Tropical North Queensland

The cruise season is underway in Tropical North Queensland with 14 scheduled visits in October including the Pacific Encounter today (October 8) with 2600 passengers ahead of a very busy November.

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Media Releases
4 Oct 2024
Airfare sale to boost Tropical North Queensland visitors

Discounted Cairns airfares launch on Monday (October 7) as part of a marketing campaign strategy to drive visitation during the low season to Tropical North Queensland.

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Media Releases
2 Oct 2024
China market recovery underway in Tropical North Queensland

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) generated more than $37 million in sales in the China market last financial year helping to grow the Chinese market by around 20,000 visitors for the region.

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Media Releases
19 Sep 2024
Tourism Tropical North Queensland calls for investment

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) is seeking bipartisan commitment for the State Government to fund destination marketing for the next four years to support about 2185 jobs and bring in more than $735 million in visitor expenditure for the Queensland economy.

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Media Releases
6 Sep 2024
World-first initiative Guardian of the Great Barrier Reef

Conservation curious travellers can visit the newly launched website and work through a series of short educational videos and fast, each with a coupon reward system to use with Expedia bookings on the Great Barrier Reef.

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Newsletters
10 Jul 2024
Sustainability Leaders News – July 2024

Australia faces a pressing waste management issue, impacting every sector including the tourism and hospitality sectors. Annually, our nation produces 2.5 million tonnes of plastic with up to 5% of this leaking into marine environments.

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Media Releases
4 Jul 2024
Tropical North Queensland showcased to NZ agents

New Zealand’s top Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program agents were rewarded with an eight-day famil of Tropical North Queensland ahead of an increase in direct flights to Cairns.

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Media Releases
18 Jun 2024
TTNQ conference analyses effective tourism marketing

Global tourism recovery trends, changing consumer behaviour, and responsible artificial intelligence use are among the topics to be discussed at the My Queensland TNQ Tourism Conference at the Hilton Cairns tomorrow (June 19).

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Media Releases
6 Jun 2024
Tourism toolkit to boost Gulf Savannah resilience

A toolkit to help tourism operators develop new experiences and encourage visitors to the Gulf Savannah beyond the peak season will be launched next week to help boost the region’s resilience after natural disasters.

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Media Releases
5 Jun 2024
Accessible tourism grows in Tropical North Queensland

An accessible rainforest canopy walkway and a kayak launcher are among 46 new Tropical North Queensland initiatives to result from Queensland’s Year of Accessible Tourism.

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Media Releases
2 Jun 2024
Queensland is Bluey’s world for real life

That’s the latest major tourism marketing offensive Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) is kicking off today, in its biggest campaign in more than a decade, and Tropical North Queensland has a starring role.

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Media Releases
13 May 2024
What’s New in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – May 2024

Jump on a jetski and whizz around Pajinka, the northern-most tip of Australia, with a First Nations-led jetski tour launching on 25 May. Pafetai Morseau from Badu Island has founded Cape York Jetski Tours to showcase the remote region’s culture and history as part of an action-packed jetski tour that can also take in the Torres Strait islands. Fishing and trips to remote art centres are among the options for the tours departing from Seisa in Cape York Peninsula.

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Media Releases
13 May 2024
Sustainability News in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – May 2024

Tropical North Queensland is the most eco-certified destination in Australia with 72 active ecocertified companies and 27 businesses undertaking the process with Ecotourism Australia.

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Media Releases
13 Mar 2024
Tropical North Queensland offers $100 off tours

Visitors to Tropical North Queensland can enjoy $100 off hundreds of tours including Great Barrier Reef trips, scenic helicopter flights and guided rainforest adventures from today with the national launch of the Tropical Dollars campaign.

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Media Releases
5 Mar 2024
Palm Cove tops list of ‘Best Beaches in the World’

Described as the ‘epitome of a tropical paradise’ Tropical North Queensland’s Palm Cove has been crowned best beach in the world by Conde Nast Traveller magazine.

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Media Releases
5 Mar 2024
Tropical North Queensland resilience attracts business events

The resilience of Tropical North Queensland after record flooding in December has inspired corporations planning incentive events for international destinations this year to move their business to Cairns.

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Media Releases
19 Feb 2024
What’s New in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – February 2024
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Media Releases
17 Feb 2024
Visitors welcomed back to the Daintree on Monday

Independent day visitors can head north of the Daintree River from 5am on Monday 19 February to see the iconic view from the Alexandra Lookout and visit attractions such as the Daintree Discovery Centre.

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Media Releases
14 Feb 2024
Sustainability News in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Tropical North Queensland is the most eco-certified destination in Australia with 72 active eco-certified companies and 27 businesses undertaking the process with Ecotourism Australia.

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Media Releases
20 Jan 2024
Great Barrier Reef Drive opens today

The iconic Great Barrier Reef Drive opened at 8am today (Saturday January 20) providing a coastal route to Port Douglas and Daintree in addition the daily ferry service from Cairns and the scenic inland route via Mareeba and Mount Molloy.

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Media Releases
17 Jan 2024
Tourism Recovery Officer begins work

Tourism Tropical North Queensland has appointed Fiona Nicholl to the Tourism Recovery Officer role funded by the Federal and State Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

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Media Releases
3 Jan 2024
How to get to Port Douglas for a summer break

Scenic boat transfers between Cairns and Port Douglas for just $50 and a stunning inland drive are the easiest way to get to Port Douglas for the summer break you’ve been waiting for.

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Media Releases
18 Dec 2023
Tourism works to keep community and visitors safe

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said the organisation’s immediate focus was to keep the community and visitors safe.

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Media Releases
15 Dec 2023
Touring resumes in Tropical North Queensland

The first cruise ship has returned to Cairns, divers are back exploring the Great Barrier Reef and waterfall tours are in demand as Tropical North Queensland welcomes visitors in the wake of Cyclone Jasper.

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Media Releases
6 Dec 2023
Content grants to showcase business event offerings

Fourteen business event suppliers of Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef have received grants of up to $5,000 each to produce new content or update their website performance as part of the Create Great Program.

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Media Releases
29 Nov 2023
China Eastern announces seasonal services to Cairns

China Eastern Airlines will operate seasonal services from Shanghai to Cairns bringing Chinese visitors directly into the region for the Chinese New Year celebrations in 2024 and injecting up to $3 million into the local economy.

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Media Releases
27 Nov 2023
TNQ operators awarded

Tropical North Queensland operators took home 14 wins across 10 categories at the Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s Queensland Tourism Awards ceremony at the Cairns Convention Centre on Friday night.

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Media Releases
15 Nov 2023
TTNQ launches global campaigns to boost visitation

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) has launched its first global trade campaigns for the ‘Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’ brand partnering with Expedia and Trip.com for activity in seven key international markets

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Media Releases
10 Nov 2023
Tropical North Queensland to host Australia Next

Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase will return in 2024 with the event, normally held every two years, to be held in Tropical North Queensland, as Australia continues to rebuild a strong pipeline of international business events.

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Media Releases
3 Nov 2023
Great Barrier Reef gives birth to next generation of corals

Researchers, tourism operators and Traditional Owners are poised to analyse the next generation of corals on the Great Barrier Reef after the start of the annual coral spawn was recorded last night (November 2) on Moore Reef, 47km east of Cairns.

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Media Releases
28 Oct 2023
Tropical North Queensland celebrates tourism excellence

The Tropical North Queensland tourism industry celebrated a year of record achievement at the 2023 Expedia Group TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards at the Cairns Convention Centre on last night (27 October).

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Media Releases
19 Oct 2023
John O’Sullivan to Chair TTNQ Board

Experience Co Limited Chief Executive Officer John O’Sullivan has been appointed Chair of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) at the Annual General Meeting today (October 19).

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Media Releases
6 Oct 2023
First Nations tourism flourishing in Tropical North Qld

Australian holiday travellers experiencing Indigenous tourism in Tropical North Queensland are spending almost three times more than they did before the pandemic and staying longer in the destination.

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#ExploreTNQ

The kind of place you dream about… then realise it’s real. Perched above South Mission Beach, @elandraresort offers front-row views to the Coral Sea and the islands beyond. Hands up if you have stayed here?

📸 @permanentlywandering 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia @cassowarycoastaustralia 

ID: A tropical pool setting complete with palm trees, sun lounges and a view looking out the Coral Sea.
Is this as close to island perfection as you will find? We think so...let us introduce you to #FitzroyIsland 🌴🤿.

🎥 @amys.camera.lens 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland @australia @fitzroyisland @fitzroyislandadventures @sunloverreefcruises 

ID Aerial footage of Fitzroy Island shows boats anchored in clear turquoise water, white-sand beaches backed by rainforest, and swimmers enjoying the water.
There’s cheese boards… and then there’s @mungallicreek cheese boards. Think creamy farm-made cheese, house-baked sweets, seasonal fruit and organic ice cream churned just metres from where it’s served. Pull up a chair on the verandah and settle in, this is what slow food looks like on the @athertontablelands.

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland 
@australia 

ID A couple visits Mungalli Creek Dairy. They browse the café’s cake display, order a large cheese platter, and enjoy it on the verandah overlooking the mountainous countryside.
Low tide magic on the Great Barrier Reef Drive. 

🎥 @kellerdiaries 

ID Drone footage of the Great Barrier Reef Drive between Cairns and Port Douglas, featuring low tide sandbanks, winding coastal roads, turquoise waters and rainforest.

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia  @portdouglasdaintree
Wow! Can you feel the energy from this morning’s IRONMAN Cairns start?
It was next level… who else got goosebumps? Big congrats to young guns Bailey Tuddenham and Madi Toovey 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️ for taking out the IRONMAN 70.3. The full IRONMAN is far from over, so don’t miss a minute of the action on the Cairns Esplanade today 🎉🔥. 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia @visitpalmcove 🎥 @ironman.cairns 

ID A video showing the electric atmosphere at the IRONMAN Cairns start line. Athletes run into the water as the race begins, surrounded by cheering crowds, event flags and the early morning light over the Coral Sea.
Not a bad spot for a winter dip. Just saying.

📍Cairns Lagoon

📸 @myholidaycentre 

ID Cairns Lagoon at sunset, featuring people swimming and relaxing in the water. The sky is painted in pastel pink and purple hues, with the iconic silver fish sculptures standing along the waterfront.

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia
We know where we would rather be 😉. Trev’s out here road testing both ends of the thermometer, what’s your pick? Beanies or boardies? 

🎥 @trevs_gone_outdoors

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia 

ID The video follows a man transitioning between two extreme landscapes, the tropical rainforest of Tropical North Queensland and the snowy mountains of southern Australia.
When the whales are this curious, you don’t need to chase the moment, it finds you 💙. Dwarf minke season has arrived, bringing the gentle giants of the deep back to the Great Barrier Reef. 

Known for their calm nature and surprising curiosity, these sleek swimmers often circle boats and snorkellers, creating once-in-a-lifetime encounters you will never forget. The #GreatBarrierReef is the only place on Earth where you can swim with dwarf minke whales and it only happens for two months a year, right here in Tropical North Queensland.

Seen one? Dreaming of it? Tell us👇

🎥 @pablocogollos_photography and @oceanearthstudios via @gbrmarinepark 

#exploreTNQ #explorecairnsGBR #thisisqueensland #seeaustralia @queensland  @australia 

ID Underwater footage of a dwarf minke whale in the clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Heli views, river crossings, red dirt, waterfalls, beach camps and one cracking sunset. Cape York, you’re a wild one and we love it!
 
📍Creb Track to the Tip
🚙 Pack the recovery tracks
🌴 Stay for a good time, not a long time 

🎥 @_lanicooper_ 
 
ID A compilation of Cape York adventure scenes featuring 4WD vehicles crossing creeks, navigating muddy tracks and driving along red dirt roads.