11 February 08

NEWS - EVENTS - TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - TTNQ APPLAUDS ACHEIVEMENTS - ON THE MOVE - SEEN IN THE MEDIA - GOOD NEWS STORIES

NEWS

GBR FIRST RATE
In the Pacific/Indian Ocean section of Scuba Diving Magazine’s recent reader’s choice survey the Great Barrier Reef was rated as:
• No. 1 for Beginner Dives
• No. 2 Dive Destination, and
• No 2. for Underwater Photography

WET TROPICS GREENHOUSE GASES AUDIT
The Wet Tropics Management Authority has released the results of a Wet Tropics Greenhouse Gases Audit, the first such regional audit to be conducted in Australia. To see the results click here.

TIGER SHARK RETURNS TO UNDERSEA EXPLORER
Passengers aboard Undersea Explorer were treated to a extraordinary experience recently when, Rainebow, a 15-year old female Tiger Shark was recaptured and retagged as part of Undersea Explorer’s Remote Far Northern Expedition (24/11 – 3/12). Read more

TOURISM VALUE OF LARGE MARINE CREATURE SIGHTINGS
Dr Alastair Birtles from James Cook University and his team have started a four year study on the social and economic values of iconic marine animals that tourists encounter when visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Part I of the study has focused on dive-tourism in the northern region, and has found that Key Species have High Economic Values when left alive in their natural environment. The research suggests that each sighting of a shark by a diver could be worth up to $1,375 tourist dollars to the region. This is similar to the value of a turtle sighting at up to $1,360 or encounters with big fish valued at up to $1,354. Read more.

BARKERS BATS AT UNDARA
This incredible photo was taken as a still from a movie camera by Greg Bluett while on the Wildlife at Sunset Tour at Undara Experience just before Christmas. It shows the incredible number of micro bats streaming out of the lava tube, which is an event which occurs on dusk every night during the warmer months. For more information go to www.undara.com.au and hit micro-bats.

COUNCIL CAIRNS HERITAGE STUDY
Cairns City Council and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cultural Heritage Branch have commissioned a new study to identify and assess the city’s built cultural heritage. The Cairns Heritage Study will comprehensively review places with local and state heritage values, and give greater certainty about the management of heritage places.

Local community groups and interested individuals have an opportunity to attend EPA-run workshops to help identify significant historic places. The workshops will also clarify and address public concerns about heritage listing by outlining what is involved in the listing process, what listing means for property owners, and how to seek help for heritage-related matters. Workshops will be held on 5 February at the Serbian Cultural Information Centre, Edge Hill and on 11 February at the Cairns City Council Civic Reception Rooms.

For more information contact Ray Supple (EPA) on 4046 6732 or Debbie Wellington (Council) on 4044 3521. The Cairns Heritage Study survey can be completed online at Council’s website (www.cairns.qld.gov.au) – follow the link on the home page.

HORIZON CLOSES FOR RENOVATIONS
The Horizon at Mission Beach has closed for a full make over of all rooms, bathrooms, paint (internal & external), pool deck, soft décor / furnishings, fittings, common areas, foyer & reception. The resort is scheduled to reopen for business on Thursday 1 May 2008.

CAPTAIN COOK CRUISES ANNOUNCEMENT
Captain Cook Cruises has announced plans to join forces with Cairns based Coral Princess Cruises and that the Reef Endeavour will be withdrawn from service on 25 February 2008 and will be sold. Passengers with Cruise bookings on Reef Endeavour past this date may transfer to a 3 or 4 night Coral Princess Barrier Reef cruise of similar itinerary at the booked price.

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EVENTS

MACDONNELLS LAW SEMINAR
WORKPLACE DIRECTIONS – What lies ahead?
8:00 – 9:15am or 12:15 – 1:30pm 20 February 2008 MacDonnells Law cnr Shields & Grafton Streets
This free session for TTNQ members will provide an employment law update and discuss the implications of the change of government and workplace laws. Click here for more details.

TOURISM QUEENSLAND INTERNATIONAL MARKET WORKSHOPS
Thursday 21 February, Cairns International Hotel
Eastern Hemisphere from 8:30am
Western Hemisphere from 1:00pm
This year the TQ International Market Briefings will take a new format with smaller interactive discussion groups providing more targeted information and opportunities for questions to be answered. If you wish to attend please email marketbriefings@tq.com.au or fiona.mori@tq.com.au

AUSTRADE SEMINAR –
Riding the Elephant– Your Gateway to doing business in INDIA
Wednesday 5 March 2008, Holiday Inn, Cairns
Austrade encourage those interested in doing business in India to attend this free seminar. Click here for more information or visit www.austrade.gov.au/indiaseminars08

AICD CAIRNS BUSINESS BREAKFAST
UNIVERSITIES AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
7:00 – 8:45am Friday 14 March 2008, Cairns International Hotel
Guest speaker Professor Sandra Harding, Vice Chancellor and President James Cook University will share her views on the key role that universities can and should play in enhancing the economic and social development of regional Australia. Click here for more information and RSVP details.

A – Z of GOING GREEN SEMINAR
1:00 – 5:00pm 27 March 2008 Rydges Tradewinds Hotel
Meetings Events Australia will hold a Professional Development Seminar titled A-Z of Going Green featuring guest speakers Elizabeth Rich of the Business Events Council of Australia and TTNQ’s John McIntyre. Click here for further information or phone 07 3286 4977 or Email qld@mea.org.au

CARNIVALE COMING UP
The Reef & Rainforest Carnivale 2008 is on from 21 May - 1 June 2008.
Visit www.carnivale.com.au/ for all the details including the many activities including in the festival.

FARM AND NATURE TOURISM WORKSHOP
Friday 22 February 2008, Cooktown
Find out if tourism is an option on your property at this free workshop. Click here for more information. Watch for information on more free workshops planned for El Arish, Coen, Weipa and the Tablelands from March onwards

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TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

TNQTAFE TOURISM LANGUAGE COURSES
TNQTAFE is offering short courses in Korean, Mandarin and Japanese, specially designed for the tourism and hospitality industry to help improve frontline customer service. Click here for more information.

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OPPORTUNITIES

REACH THE DRIVE MARKET
There are still opportunities available to be part of the new initiative, the Pacific Coast Touring Guide to be published soon with the support of Tourism Queensland and Tourism New South Wales. The guide will highlight and emphasise the diversity of tourism products along and branching off the Pacific Coast Touring Route – Australia’s number one touring drive. Click here for the Proposal.

QOT-GULF COUNTRIES-MIDDLE EAST
Tourism Queensland will conduct a Queensland on Tour -Gulf Countries Roadshow from 25 April to 07 May 2008 which will cover the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Doha, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi. A prospectus is available by contacting Julia Pavey at julia.pavey@tq.com.au or 3535 5492. Places are limited so interested participants should apply immediately.

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TTNQ APPLAUDS ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations to:

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway – on becoming the only Australian company to receive the prestigious Green Globe Gold Certification in recognition of their excellent environmental performance and as a reward for achieving Green Globe Certification for five consecutive years.
Angsana Resort & Spa, Great Barrier Reef - on their ground breaking initiative in conjunction with the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) to plant trees in the Daintree Rainforest to benefit the environment and play a part in global efforts to green the planet. Ten Angsana staff and volunteers planted over 1000 trees in one day.
Cairns Colonial Club - on their generous donation of the first bundle of 50 blankets to a local Blanket Drive for Mongolia. The blankets have become available as the resort embarks on a massive refurb of their 345 rooms and there will be plenty more blankets to follow.
Cairns Convention Centre on hosting conferences which contributed around $70 million into the regional economy during 2007.
Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa on being voted World’s Leading Eco Lodge in the World Travel Awards and Bedarra Island being voted Australasia’s and Australia’s Leading Boutique Resort.
Tourism Industry representatives Gerry Collins and Willie Gordon – on being included in the 2008 Australia Day Honours List.
Parker Travel Collection – on the launch of their Eastern Hemisphere division headed by Greg Daven, General Manager – Sales – Eastern Hemisphere.
Mareeba Wetlands Reserve - on becoming the first officially-certified Ecotourism Tour or Attraction operator on the Atherton Tablelands. Ecotourism Australia has recognised the Mareeba Wetlands Reserve and Jabiru Safari Lodge and tour operations for its ‘best practice’ with Advanced Ecotourism Certification.
The students of Alexandra Bay State Primary School on their participation in the Daintree Discovery Centre’s Carbon Offset/Bio sequestrian project with a donation of 40 rainforest seedlings. In turn Daintree Discovery Centre is a sponsor of the Alexandra Bay School ‘Young Legends Award’ providing ongoing support for the school’s environmental education program.

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ON THE MOVE

Skyrail welcomes Marni Barnett as their new Sales Executive.
Tony Allocca will be taking over the role of General Manager of Peppers Beach Club & Spa Palm Cove from 1 March 2008.
Natasha Woodleigh is Tjapukai’s new Tour Desk Sales Executive.
GBR Helicopters has appointed Virginia Edwards as their new Director of Sales – Tourism.
Scott Horn is the new General Manager at Mantra Esplanade.
On 1 February the All Seasons Sunshine Tower Hotel became the Cairns Sunshine Tower Hotel, with Accor ceasing management of the property from that date.
Rydges Sabaya Resort Port Douglas welcomes new Executive Chef Lance Seeto.
The Cairns Port Authority has appointed Alicia Prince to the position of Retail and Advertising Manager for Cairns Airport. Alicia has worked on aviation development with TTNQ and the tourism industry in her previous CPA role.

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SEEN IN THE MEDIA

A pictorial article in Caravan World recently feautured Willie Gordon’s Gurrbbi Tours.
Aussie thrillseeker Steve Crombie is to make a flying visit to Cooktown in February to research his new television documentary for Lonely Planet’s Natural Born Traveller series which will screen on the Discovery Channel. Crombie plans to ride a motorbike the length of the Great Dividing Range, either starting or finishing at Cooktown.
Ros Reines checked out Palm Cove for a Sunday Telegraph article
It was seafood and spas that caught the attention Brisbane News in this article on TNQ, which also featured Cairns International Hotel.
Kuranda and the Kuranda Rainforest Resort & Spa were the subject of this coverage in The Courier Mail.
Port Douglas restaurants, including TTNQ Member 2 Fish, were included in this listing in the South China Morning Post.
The Sunday Mail Adelaide sang the praises of the Sebel Reef House & Spa Palm Cove.

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GOOD NEWS STORIES

A Calypso dive crew member did his company proud when he went to a little extra effort to help an aqua-challenged visitor to experience the Great Barrier Reef, while the Cairns Night Zoo provided lasting and tuneful memories for a visiting family.

My wife and I went on a snorkelling trip with Calypso to the outer reef on Sunday, 28 October 2007. Although we had an excellent time, that is not the purpose of this email.

My wife, Kay, has always had a morbid fear of water. She has never been able to place her head underwater. However, thanks to the expertise and caring nature of your employee, Tony, she ended up being able to snorkel and to experience the wonderful reef and marine sights that I have always been able to experience.

I am delighted that she was able to finally share the snorkelling experience with me and I would be grateful if you would pass on Kay’s and my thanks to Tony for making this possible.

Because I imagine that Tony is the product of Calypso training, I want to thank your company for taking the time to train your staff so as to enable anyone to share the underwater marine experience. My wife and I have been on such excursions previously in many parts of the world, including on the Reef, and no other company has made any effort in this way.

Although I know that you do advertise tuition and in-water assistance, I did not pay particular attention to that claim until after Kay had been helped in overcoming her fears. I believe that this aspect should be stressed in your advertising material, because there are a lot of people out there like my wife.

Yours sincerely,
Danny Sankey

Aloha!

My family and I attended your night zoo and we had such a wonderful time. My kids were singing "Give me a home among the gum trees" so much that I had to get the music for them. They really enjoyed feeding the kangaroo and petting the koala's and seeing the crocodile be fed. When people ask what they liked best about our trip to Australia, they talk about the night zoo.

I’ve sent you our favourite picture from our entire two weeks. Please tell Lee and Diesel that they will be a part of our memories forever.

Becky Clark
Honolulu, HI