07 October 2008

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

Dear Members,

On Wednesday 1 October tourism industry leaders met with Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson here at TTNQ to present the tourism industry’s priority projects for the $4 million Rescue Package.  To sustain the tourism industry in Tropical North Queensland post December 17 when flights from Japan are reduced by 62%, we requested funding for marketing support to drive Aviation seats in the Japan market and emerging markets, China, India, Korea and other Asia.  We also requested addition funds to ramp up marketing in traditional markets UK, USA, Europe and New Zealand.

TTNQ presented a package which if approved will target 73,000 new seats into Cairns over the next 12 months.  It doesn’t make up for the 100,000 lost on the Western Japan route but does go a long way in improving the region's prospects.  The issue for the region is urgent and we need activity in the marketplace to simulate traffic now to Tropical North Queensland.  We have also argued that a modest budget should be allocated to the development of a Strategic Plan that would encourage better co-ordination of Government Departments (Whole of Government) in the region, to deliver recurrent services that will feed into the long term strategy for TNQ.

You will have seen the media reports of the Minister’s immediate commitment to funds for emerging markets India and China, for a bid to host the 2010 Aviation Routes Forum in Cairns and for marketing in the UK.  As decisions on funding for other projects are made we’ll bring you the details.

Rob Giason Chief Executive Officer

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THE LATEST NEWS

DEMA Las Vegas

Five TTNQ members from the Dive industry will be exhibitors at DEMA the world’s largest Dive exhibition, in Las Vegas from 22 to 25 October.  TTNQ in partnership with Tourism Queensland, will also have a booth at the exhibition, to provide the 10,000 Dive trade attendees with regional information including, reef and rainforest tours and attractions, accommodation and group touring assistance.  An e-blast through Scuba Diving magazine to 8,000 US dive industry invites those who are attending DEMA to visit a TTNQ website set up specifically for the exhibition.

Qantas Travel Agents and Call Centre Famils

During August and September three famils to support the Qantas campaign “The Perfect Family Holiday for Pocket Money” visited Cairns, Kuranda, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Daintree and Cape Tribulation.  Qantas front line sales staff from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth participated in the program supported by 29 TTNQ member companies and went home raving fans.  “The Perfect Family Holiday for pocket Money” has been on sale since late July with travel dates 1 September to 30 October.  

Continental Holidays Travel Agents Famil

During September TTNQ hosted a group of 11 travel agents from Guam who were visiting the region to familiarise themselves with new product and the adventures and attractions that lie beyond the city of Cairns.  They had a wonderful experience and the reports being received from Continental Holidays since their return to Guam has been overwhelmingly positive.

Good Morning Guam

A week after the Agents famil, TTNQ hosted Guam’s No. 1 morning radio show, K57.  Presenter Ray Gibson conducted his 6am to 10am morning show live to Guam from the TTNQ offices.  Ray also filmed his half hour television program “The Good Question” beside the Esplanade Lagoon pool where he spoke with the Mayor and TTNQ’s Stephen Olle, Dion Eades and Lisa Monks.  When all the work was complete Ray, his wife and Continental Airlines David Kendell and Grace Garcia were shown the sites of Tropical North Queensland enjoying a taste of the outback, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and the finale of Festival of Cairns.

Guam visit by Lisa Monks

Lisa Monks is heading to Guam in this month to conduct sales calls and to represent Tropical North Queensland at the Navy and Airforce Travel Fairs and the three day Guam Micronesia Island Fair to promote Tropical North Queensland throughout Micronesia.  Accompanying Lisa on her trip to Guam will be three dancers from Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.  While in Guam the dancers will visit one of the Elementary Schools, to perform for the children who have chosen Australia as the subject topic for their upcoming United Nations Day celebrations.

Famil for UK Breakfast Show

Producer, Presenter and Film Crew from UK Breakfast Show GMTV will spend 7 days in Tropical North Queensland from 5 October gathering segments for their program.  Thanks to Tourism Queensland and to the TTNQ members who are hosting the famil showcasing Tropical North Queensland to one of the regions’ most important markets.

Queensland on Stage

A famil for 24 European media representatives organised by TTNQ with Tourism Queensland arrives in Tropical North Queensland on 9 October.  The writers, photographers and radio presenters from Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France will sample tours and activities on the Great Barrier Reef, in the rainforest and at wildlife attractions.  They’ll be experiencing Indigenous culture, having close encounters with turtles and native animals, taking in the outback and the magic of the Undara lava tubes as well as visiting Cairns, Palm Cove, Port Douglas  the Gulf and Cooktown.  They’ll be taking home these first hand experiences for articles in newspapers and magazines as Autumn slides into Winter across Europe.

ATEC famil

Inbound Tour Operators from all over Australia will attend the annual ATEC Inbound Up North Familiarisation from 29 Oct to 1 Nov.  The program consists of workshops, functions and opportunities for pre and post touring of the region.

Tourism Research from James Cook University/MTSRF

The latest James Cook University Tourism Barometers (Quarter 6) for reef tourism in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Areas are now available for download here: http://www.rrrc.org.au/publications/tourism_barometers.html.

UK opening of the movie Australia

Fox 20thCentury expects that the film starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman will be their biggest film in the UK in 2008.  The UK release date is 26 DEC which is traditionally a very strong day for movies.  Tourism Australia’s marketing based around the film will run from Nov through until the end of January.

Timing is everything

As Tourism Australia prepares for the movie launch, TNQ region enters 6 months of promotions across the UK to drive bookings from the interest the movie is expected to generate.  TTNQ’s Western Marketing team is working with Tourism Queensland in London on the roll out of multiple consumer campaigns.

UK Wholesalers TUI and Stella Travel Services have combined with State Tourism Offices to deliver a $730,000 consumer media and digital campaign with the primary Queensland focus being Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region and Tropical North Queensland.

For 3 weeks starting Nov 24^th TTNQ, Port Douglas Daintree Tourism and eight operators will represent our region at the European and UK Queensland On Tour trade shows.  These ambassadors for paradise will meet with over 400 media and wholesale representatives across nine countries to link TNQ with the excitement of the movie and to bring home contacts and leads.

Congratulations to North Queensland’s Best Chinese Restaurant

TTNQ member Café China has won Gourmet Traveller’s 2008 Award for Best Chinese Restaurant in North Queensland for the ninth year running and has also picked up the Award for best wine list.

TTNQ board meeting on the Cassowary Coast

The board met at Castaways Mission beach on 30 September and invited the southern region members and the Mayor of the Cassowary Coast Region to join them for a networking lunch.

Oliver's new menu

Click here for the mouth watering new Finger Food menu from Oliver's

Mates rates at Cableski

Lana Lockyer at Cableski Cairns announces the establishment of Tourism Tuesdays offering huge discounts to permanent tourism industry staff.

The deal:  Every Tuesday 10am to 3pm, excluding School Holidays, $22 per hour when you show employment ID.  Contact Lana 0438 453 073 to take up the offer.

Green Island Ocean Swim

Although there was a strong contingent of competitors from Townsville, and Brisbane, Cairns swimmers took out top honours in both distances of this year’s Green Island Ocean Swim.  The community event in its third year attracted swimmers aged from 12 to 78.

Fourteen year old Josh Bairstow won the 3km event in just over 39 minutes and still had time to enjoy seeing turtles, rays and a small reef tip sharks along the way.

All race results and rankings are available on the Quicksilver Group news site at http://www.quicksilvergroup.com.au/media/green_island_oceanswim08.htm

Josh Bairstow

Tourism and Climate Change Research

World leading research on tourism and climate change is being undertaken in the Cairns region by Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre.  The Cairns project is part of a national research program being undertaken to address the impacts of climate change on Australian tourism for the next 10, 40 and 60 years.

25% discount to celebrate 25 years of Pro Dive

Dive and adventure tourism specialist Pro Dive Cairns, is celebrating 25 years in business and offering locals 25% discount on purchases from their new store for the month of October.

Starting life in a small rented shop located on the waterfront next to the Marlin Jetty, Pro Dive now owns and operates a purpose built 5 star PADI diver training centre, three live-aboard vessels for overnight Dive Trips and the city’s biggest dedicated dive, snorkel and watersports centre open 7 days a week on the corner of Shields Street & Grafton Streets.

Port Hinchinbrook Fishing Classic

Richard Blanchette from Port Hinchinbrook Resorts & Cruises wants you to know that this year’s Port Hinchinbrook Fishing Classic attracted 48 vessels and 146 anglers from around Australia, that 23 marlin and sailfish were tagged and released in a single day and $50,000 in cash prizes and trophies were offered – I think we know where Richard will be 16 to 20 September 2009.

Terrific Trevally

Monster Mackeral

Volunteer of the month for September - DIANNE SMITH

Congratulations Dianne, we really appreciate your enthusiastic efforts in the Visitor Information Centre.  Dianne has been volunteering with us for a long time and is now among our longest standing volunteers.  Well done Dianne and we hope to have you here for many years to come.

Airport Ambassador Update

Ambassador of the month - Michelle Loeser

Michelle is one of the “original team” of Ambassadors, and given her current schedule, we are so lucky to have her.  Michelle runs the Re-joovn’8 natural therapy salon at Edgehill, has a job at Limberlost nursery, various bouts of teaching, and still finding time to give the Ambassadors a weekly shift… some people definitely have more hours in the day than others.

Michelle is an Airport and Aircraft enthusiast. She relishes the opportunity to wear the high-visibility vest to go airside, and never misses an opportunity to be out and about in various parts of the airport.  We’ve been told that Michelle can sit on her verandah and impress her friends by telling them the flight number, aircraft type, and what’s on the breakfast menu, as aircraft fly overhead.

Thanks Michelle, your professionalism and attention to detail in the terminal are remarkable, and your willingness to help our new recruits makes you a great asset to our team.

Welcome New Members

If you know anyone whose business isn’t a member of TTNQ, tell them about the membership benefits and encourage them to join us.

Benefits of Bronze level membership include:

• Invitation to networking functions
• Invitations to attend free corporate seminars in the areas of Education & Training, & Law & Finance
• Hardcopy of TTNQ Members Register, names only
• Eligibility to nominate for TTNQ Tourism Awards.
• Receipt of general communications – newsletters etc.
• AGM voting rights – 1 vote only.
• Membership sticker
• Business referrals
• Database listing of 1 nominated product

Cairns & Tropical North Visitor Information Centre (Cairns’ only accredited VIC):

• Brochure display for nominated product
• Reservations and tour sales
• Product presentations to VIC volunteers and staff

Website representation (one listing for nominated product only):

• TTNQ website tropicalaustralia.com.au listing with business description, images and website link.
• Subsidised ATDW listing

Opportunities – some of these are at cost to the operator & are not guaranteed:

• Promotions in the Cairns & Tropical North Visitor Information Centre
• Involvement in Book Tropical Australia, eligibility to list “Hot Deals” on www.tropicalaustralia.com.au
• Research data
• Access to knowledge base and expertise of TTNQ staff
• Involvement in road shows and familiarisations.

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

Tickets for the 2008 TNQ Tourism Awards are on sale now.  Purchase your tickets online here.

Research & Insight Forum – Tuesday 14 October 2008

We are delighted that Tourism Australia will be presenting on the latest IVS/NVS figures at year ending June 2008 at the Research & Insights Forum, which will include forecasting results, along with presentations from James Cook University on the latest results from their surveys conducted at the airport on all visitors, at rainforest locations and on the reef.  They will also be releasing results from Family Tourism Research undertaken over Christmas 2007 and earlier this year.  Click here for the invitation and to register.

JCU Postgraduate Courses

The School of Business is hosting an information seminar on Postgraduate study at the Holiday Inn Cairns on Monday 27 October 2008.  The information session will cover postgraduate courses in Tourism, Business, Accounting and Dispute Resolution.  Full details

TTNQ Annual General Meeting

Mark this date in your diary - 28th October, to attend the TTNQ Annual General Meeting  The AGM will be held at the Hilton Cairns.  Registration starts at 5pm, the AGM will take place from 5.30pm – 6.30pm followed by Networking at Six Degrees Bar.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Stella Hospitality Group has expanded its portfolio and restructured management.  Nicola Constantinidis joins Stella as General Manager for Beach Club and Spa at Palm Cove and Area Manager Cairns & Northern Beaches with responsibility of five properties.  Promoted to Area Manager, Port Douglas is Geoff Weeks.  Based at Peppers Beach Club in Port Douglas, Geoffs’ portfolio includes nine properties.  Regional Manager Michael Coe welcomes Nicola and Geoff in their new roles and also Andrew Charlton, recently promoted to Area Manager, Darwin, and assisting in managing Stella’s 21 properties in NQ&NT Region.

Welcome to Andrew McSweeney General Manager at Sea Temple Resort & Spa, Port Douglas.

Kerri Jenkins is moving from JCU to join the TTNQ team in the role of Marketing Communications Coordinator.  Kerri will be on board by the end of the month.

Another new face at TTNQ will be Emily Beresford joining us in the role of Membership Coordinator after many years with the Quicksilver Group.

Russell Boswell is moving from Wilderness Challenge into a new role as Manager of Savannah Way Limited, marketing the Cairns-Broome road experience. 

TTNQ farewells Dion Eades and Karen Shaw this week.

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SEEN IN THE MEDIA

Downunder Travel Bulletin caught up with the TTNQ Western Marketing Team at the Cairns Lagoon.

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GOOD NEWS STORY

MASON HALF DAY 4WD BLOOMFIELD TOUR

My husband and I did the above on the 15/9 and found it to be a highlight of our 2 week trip to Tropical North Queensland.  What made it so special was the tour to the Bloomfield falls by the local Indigenous people, the Walker Family Tours.  We both learnt so much about the local area from them.  We also could not help notice the rapport that "Uncle Nev", our Mason tour guide, had with these people.
We wanted to let you know about this positive experience, and hope the Walker Family Tours are given every opportunity to succeed in their business.

Regards,

GAIL & RICHARD McALPINE

If you have a good news story or have achieved a recent success please send your information to Stevie King.

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While every effort is made to ensure the information in this newsletter is accurate, Tourism Tropical North Queensland disclaims all responsibility and liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs incurred as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in anyway, and for any reason.