Cairns Tourism Industry Association | Travel and transport

Cairns Tourism Industry Association

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24.01.2022 Kevin Byrne talks about COVID 19's effect on the Cairns economy.

24.01.2022 Kevin talks more about the Cairns economy and going forward over the next 12 months..

23.01.2022 Disturbingly I noticed during the week Channel 7 quoting Wotif listing Cairns as the 5th most favoured visitor destination in QLD behind GC, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Whitsundays. Our tourism pioneers would be rolling in their graves and certainly, if alive, would be banging the door down at this ranking. I was at least pleased to see now an emphasis on the domestic marketing campaign back to the simple but EFFECTIVE message of "Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef". And about time. Today's heavy handed and over the top QLD GOVT approach to banning EVERYONE from Victoria will not help however and entirely unnecessary. "One size fits all" is destructive and is just pure politics

23.01.2022 Ever wondered where all the cruise ships go to hunker down during an industry shutdown and the cost?. Well here is the answer and you can draw your own conclusions as to how this segment of the industry will rebound. Can you see an Australasian market developing....NZ and selected Pacific Islands perhaps provided there are strict enforceable international protocols in place to avoid a repeat of the last fiasco: https://www.bloomberg.com//coronavirus-travel-what-happens

22.01.2022 From the get go we have been the lone voice here advocating for the responsible management of the borders in response to heath matters. It has been a shambles. Today again the government has spooked the daylights out of people so that they will be reluctant to book and travel anywhere. We are not alone in our condemnation of this chaotic situation: https://www.theaustralian.com.au//3c060a610a19b6b463a2195c

22.01.2022 Kevin Byrne - Cairns Tourism Industry Association has a chat with Tony Moore - Chill Cafe Palm Cove about the impact of Covid - 19 and the QLD Border closures on tourism and the restaurant industry here in Cairns and Palm Cove...

20.01.2022 Everyone is tipping that the Premier will announce the closed border syndrome a thing of the past from 11 July but don't bet on it. It should have been announced some time ago to allow for our ailing tourism industry time to plan for and take advantage of the 4 week national school holiday season commencing at the end of this month. But no, and in the face of diminishing evidence of community transmission the Premier, with the support of her local parliamentary members contin...ues to play hard ball and our industry and our people languish in despair. We will recover, but over a more prolonged period and with greater difficulty.The hospitality and tourism industries need precise and clear details on what will be allowed and time to plan and put the logistics together. The next task facing the industry is to understand what will the hospitality and tourism sectors look like in the post pandemic era. Just throwing money at job keeper post September to keep businesses alive, and large licks of grant monies to the bigger operators and employers and at some operations that were unprofitable and propped up predating COVID by years, is ignoring the reality of a shakeout in the industry that was well underway and now confirmed by the events of the past four months. That is unsustainable and lazy politics, but a phased industry weaning off artificial stimulus might be in order. It is also in our interests to review many of the structural issues facing TEQ and the roles of the RTOs, where does the marketing $ss come from, what are the likely source markets for itl tourists, what is the aviation plan and the role of the CAIRNS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT in all of this, the future marketing plan for the once mighty INTERNATIONAL destination of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef and what about our once glorious Convention City. So much to do and so much to look forward to but we must do so honestly, with integrity and quickly as you can bet your life if we don't others will jump us in the que. They are all hurting. We cannot expect the punter/taxpayer to shoulder this burden for much longer.This is no time for our industry to be too precious. Here is an interesting take on how one of our competitors are handling things. Remember it is unlikely there will be large numbers of international tourists around anytime soon: https://www.theaustralian.com.au//0333d0e84019fb4c724143eb See more

19.01.2022 Some very very happy southern guests spending a day with with one of our members on the GBR. We are very proud of the sate of the GBR and will continue to defend it's reputation as the best managed and most vibrant reef ecosystem in the world: https://youtu.be/EiYFyMHM3Ho

19.01.2022 Peter Beattie today took aim at the Queensland Govt on border closures demanding they be lifted. We have been saying this from the outset. Here is what it is costing. Make no mistake but this region has copped a flogging in the past 8 months: https://www.couriermail.com.au//312e93c6e63facfa177476e724

18.01.2022 We have been very consistent regarding the devastating effect of ongoing State lock downs preventing travel. It is crippling our regional economies. Unless we set a timeline and agree travel protocols for domestic and international travel many will go under in 2021. Pandemic madness: https://www.theaustralian.com.au//f70defd04f9b6d98ddb48326

18.01.2022 We are about economic growth and opportunity for our regions. We also opposed the extensive lockdowns with no evidence of community transmission. Sadly our regions have been neglected for too long and there has been promises and spin for sure but little substance.Regional needs are recognised in this editorial which has justified much of our consistent advocacy: https://www.couriermail.com.au//e5f114368ec33ac7e4ab158147: #tourism #GBR #employment #infrastructure

17.01.2022 Kevin has a chat with Jacob Lowe from Dundee's Waterfront restaurant, on how the QLD border opening and closing is effecting business in Cairns. Dundees on the Waterfront

15.01.2022 Time’s up folks! Am off to bed terrified. Just watching the collaboration between ABC and the WWF telling us all the GBR is on the brink and climate change is a...bout to wreak havoc and that the GBR is the canary in the coal mine. It coincides with the ABC doing a number on the GBR and elsewhere via a rerun of Attenborough claiming doom and gloom again. Make no mistake these programs, so full of hysteria and incompetent commentary do great damage to us all when presented in this fashion. Much of it is such claptrap and it’s like watching a B Grade cowboy movie with amateur actors tripping over themselves. GRMPA, AIMS, universities, Fed Govt, State Govt, TA, TEQ, TTNQ, Coastal Queensland Mayors all complicit in this massive misrepresentation of the true state of the reef when they refuse to correct the record and call some of this out. Thank God there is some brilliant camera work and the spawning is happening notwithstanding the rank stupidity of the ABC commentary team. We are very proud of the GBR, it is in great shape and we have great marine operators and everyone should get out there to see what frauds many of these commentators are. The finale is Sunday night. Hopefully a wonderful spawning and ongoing regeneration! Go the reef See more

14.01.2022 It has been and still remains a frustratingly excruciating exercise in futility to get enough people to understand that we have largely been conned by clever operatives. Witness the fear induced lock downs in Queensland and West Australia of millions of people because of a single infection of a quarantine worker of the "virulent" strain and no further transmission. State Premiers and the culprits who swing a wrecking ball through the economies affecting thousands of lives and... then have the gall to expect our kids to pick up the pieces be for their decisions by plunging the national economy into more spiraling debt. The tourism industry is pleading for the certainty of open borders to operate profitably. They are not looking for handouts. Have a read of economic writer Judith Sloan here:https://www.theaustralian.com.au//26af3e16c7369e41ef0529bd See more

13.01.2022 TOURISM Tropical North Queensland has appointed marketing manager Lani Strathearn to spearhead the rollout of the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef brand. TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen said Ms Strathearn had a solid career in tourism marketing, having worked in agencies in Melbourne and Adelaide for the past four years with clients including luxury touring company APT. Lani’s expertise in developing marketing strategies for diverse tourism clients will be invaluable in leadi...ng the promotion of Cairns and Great Barrier Reef in a very challenging marketplace, he said. Her role developing South Australian Tourism Commission campaigns to promote its touring routes aligned well with the Drive North Queensland campaign, he said. Having worked as the business development manager for the Adelaide Convention Bureau , Lani values the role of members to take ownership of and assist in destination promotion , Mr Olsen said. She also had managed a boutique hotel in Canada and run backpacking hostels, giving her hands-on industry experience . Ms Strathearn has just completed a road trip from Melbourne to Cairns with her partner, Anthony, including two weeks’ quarantine in Tamworth . I have found my dream role in my dream destination making the three weeks on the road well worth it, Ms Strathearn said. The low population, wideopen spaces and outdoor lifestyle of Cairns and Great Barrier Reef are the perfect antidote for domestic travellers wanting an escape from the stress of living through a pandemic. This will present new opportunities for the region especially in niche markets that will help grow visitation and our audience base. I am excited to be a part of the dedicated and passionate team at TTNQ and look forward to working with the tourism industry throughout the region, she said. Kevin Byrne says "Lets wish her well in the appointment"

13.01.2022 Kevin Byrne on the new QLD COVID restrictions ...

10.01.2022 Many of you would be aware of my skepticism of much of what we have been told of COVID 19, the overcautious positions taken by many and my fear that some would weaponise the health issues to drive fear for base political purposes to be seen to be "in control" of the situation. The net result of all of this will be shattered lives and dreams for many and economies in our regions rebuilding from scratch. Naysayers have been banished it seems. This piece of journalistic excellen...ce today is well worth a read. Before you do here is a bit of who he is:Adam Creighton is an award-winning journalist with a special interest in tax and financial policy. He was a Journalist in Residence at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in 2019. He’s written for The Economist and The Wall Street Journal from London and Washington DC, and authored book chapters on superannuation for Oxford University Press. He started his career at the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. He holds a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales, and Master of Philosophy in Economics from Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar;https://www.theaustralian.com.au//5e7295de3084956366064d49 See more

09.01.2022 Mark Olsen is quoted in this article and it provides some scale as to what is happening to tourism in Cairns and TNQ: https://www.spectator.com.au//victoria-isnt-the-only-plac/

08.01.2022 Hopefully we can get this story in circulation before the ABC and their acolytes distort a generally positive report from AIMS on the state of the GBR: https://www.couriermail.com.au//ae582bd1c4fcce86b1b5c383c0

06.01.2022 Well following on from my earlier post, the Premier has slammed the door shut on any reasonable chances of a Christmas led recovery for our ailing tourism industry up and down the coast. This is frankly disgraceful, unnecessary and just plain cruel. There are few voices here stepping up for our industry and the thousands whose livelihoods are in jeopardy. Where are our local leaders?: https://www.couriermail.com.au//d6dd13ee9731cc4b70c61abe25

05.01.2022 This is a powerful message. Nothing much has changed in the past six months when Governments, Premiers and Chief Medicos commenced playing Russian roulette with much of our regional economies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbHOL1xOG4s&feature=youtu.be

05.01.2022 Nothing more to say really. Local media and tourism talking everything up and the State pollies putting the fear of God into everyone with threats of another lockdown. The hand brakes should have been released weeks ago: https://www.abc.net.au//coronavirus-why-is-queen/12391528

05.01.2022 https://www.theaustralian.com.au//1d95f63bc1a2651f5f7c4f98 #greatbarrierreef

05.01.2022 Today I spoke to Kevin Byrne, the former mayor of Cairns and the executive manager of Enterprise North and the president Cairns Tourism Industry Association, about the premier's handling of the border restrictions.

04.01.2022 Now the quicker all borders open the better. Queensland's border management has been atrocious. Plagued with inconsistencies, it has unduly punished the regions and flogged Cairns. 40% of our visitors were international so the sooner reality prevails and we agree on an international priority travel protocol the better. This article here describes the situation well: https://www.theaustralian.com.au//b9a6b4604069bf2f86c7d507

01.01.2022 From the outset of this COVID issue I have pushed back on the State Government management of it in a one size fits all mentality. Additionally I have rejected the notion that the virus will be eliminated across the State and have advocated for a realistic suppression strategy and not an elimination strategy. It unnecessarily penalises small businesses and damages the very fabric of communities.Please share if you agree; https://www.couriermail.com.au//220a7674650d925683079e3b89

01.01.2022 How good would this be on the GBR!

01.01.2022 So good to see this. New destination name of Cairns and the GBR. Obvious question is why was it ever allowed to be known as anything else. It has been like pulling teeth getting the correct branding back. Now for the hard work.