Tourism in Tropical North Queensland (PDF)

Tourism in Tropical North Queensland Unit 2 Geography Characteristics of Tropical North Queensland  Cairns is the largest regional centre in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) and one of the most popular regions for international tourists in Australia  It is located 1390km n...

Tourism in Tropical North Queensland Unit 2 Geography Characteristics of Tropical North Queensland  Cairns is the largest regional centre in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) and one of the most popular regions for international tourists in Australia  It is located 1390km north-west of Brisbane  Located in the tropics - 16.55 degrees latitude south of the equator  The estimated residential population of the Cairns region was 165,525 persons as at June 2018 (Growing to 169,312 in 2021) – the region has experienced an annual growth rate of 1.9% over the last 10 years  Residents are employed in a range of occupations including agriculture, aquaculture, construction, government services, education, health, retail, mining and tourism Characteristics of tourism to Tropical North Queensland (numbers and spend)  In 2023, over 2.8 million tourists visited Tropical North Queensland (11% of these visitors were from overseas, 32% from interstate and 57% from other parts of Queensland )  In December 2019, over 3 million tourists visited TNQ - 26.7% were from overseas, 23.7% from interstate and 49.7% intrastate  Most tourists came for holidays, however, others also came to visit family and friends  In 2022, an estimated $3.4 billion was spent by tourists on accommodation, meals, transport and sightseeing  In 2019, over $3.5 billion was spent by tourists Characteristics of tourism to Tropical North Queensland (transport)  Travelling by air and car are the most popular transport options for visiting Cairns,  Cairns has its own international airport, with flights from all Australian capital cities, as well as direct flights from Singapore, China, Japan and New Zealand  The region is also serviced by rail (Spirit of Queensland), which makes five trips between Brisbane and Cairns each week Characteristics of tourism to Tropical North Queensland (accommodation) TripAdvisor ranks hotels in Cairns from luxury five star resorts to budget options  Other available accommodation includes apartments that can be rented, backpacker hostels and caravan parks  In 2016, it was estimated that there were over 14,000 rooms available for tourists in the Cairns region (Queensland tourism industry body), with more 8000 of these are located in the city centre (this number is expected to rise) Characteristics of tourism to Tropical North Queensland (future development)  Resorts have been proposed at Yorkeys Knob (Aquis) to the north of Cairns and Caravonica to the west, and new 5-star hotels are being built in the centre of Cairns  The Caravonica plan involves the creation of 1000 residences, a shopping centre and a 2.2 hectare lagoon for year-round water sports  The plan at Yorkeys Knob proposes the construction of eight hotels and 7500 additional rooms  The new hotels in Cairns are hoped to add more than 700 rooms  A new Aquarium and Performing Arts centre have been constructed Why do tourists travel to TNQ?  Spectacular and beautiful landscapes that are unique to the region - Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Wet Tropics rainforests  Both are biodiversity hotspots and World Heritage listed – only location in the world where two natural world heritage sites meet  60.6 per cent of respondents thought it was very important to visit the GBR, while 50.4 per cent thought it was very important to visit the rainforest – Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), James Cook University Activities 1. To obtain World Heritage listing for a site is a complex procedure. Using the UNESCO website explain how locations can become World Heritage listed. 2. List some of Australia’s World Heritage sites. 3. Choose an Australian natural wonder – Kings Canyon, Lord Howe Island, Litchfield National Park, Bungle Bungle Range, Katherine Gorge, Shark Bay, Undara Lava Tubes, Mackenzie Falls, Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake, Wineglass Bay, Kangaroo Island, Rottnest Island  Describe the location of the Australian wonder  Find an iconic image that would encourage tourists to visit this location  Outline the interesting aspects of the location that would attract tourists  Describe the infrastructure provided at this location for visitors Research one of the projects mentioned on Slide 7. Briefly outline what the proposal includes. Great Barrier Reef  Spans a length of 2300km - from north of Fraser Island in Queensland to south of the mouth of the Fly River in Papua New Guinea  Complex maze of coral reefs (2900), coral cays (300) and continental islands  Habitat to an estimated 1500 species of fish (10% of the world’s total fish species) and more than 600 species of coral  The islands, cays & coastline are home to hundreds of different bird species and animals  Reef provides a breeding ground for many threatened and endangered species, such as the dugong, sea turtles, whales and sharks  The natural features are an attraction for visitors - snorkelling, scuba diving or using glass bottom boats to view the myriad of marine life (accessed from Cairns, Fitzroy or Green Island) Daintree Rainforest  Largest tract of wet tropical rainforest left on the north-east coast of Queensland, located between Townsville and Cooktown  Only 0.1% of the Australian landmass yet contains 25% of all Australian plant species, 62% of all butterflies, 60% of all bats, 30% of all marsupials and 25 species that are rare or endangered  13 of the world’s 19 oldest flowering plant families are found in the Daintree, along with many rare and unusual bird and animal species such as the cassowary  Easily accessible from Cairns, with most visitors to the Daintree are day trippers due to limited accommodation options Further information  Visitors also come to this area for other attractions such as the Atherton Tablelands and many of the attractive beaches to the north of Cairns, e.g. Trinity Beach, Ellis Beach and Palm Cove  The Skyrail, a gondola traversing 7.5km over Wet Tropics forest (between Cairns and Kuranda) is another popular tourist destination  The tropical weather during the winter months, from May to October, are appealing to tourists, with lower rainfall and average temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees  November to April is the cyclone season – these cyclones can cause significant damage, e.g. Cyclone Yasi flattened banana/sugarcane crops, damaged/polluted the reef and flooded low lying coastal areas  In the Wet Tropics, under canopy trees were blown over, while flowers, leaves and fruit were stripped from trees depriving wildlife of food, shade and shelter (estimated that at least one third of cassowaries perished) Tropical North Queensland visitor profile  Over time, there have been changes in tourist numbers to the region, however, overall there has been an increase in numbers in recent years  In 2019, intrastate holiday tourists stayed an average of 3.5 nights, interstate 7.9 nights and international visitors 7.2 nights  Further, domestic tourist spend was $224 per night (on average) and $150 per night for international tourists (decreased by 11.7% from previous year)  Visitation to the region is seasonal – during April to October, approximately 18,000 people are accommodated per night, compared 10,000 between January and March (2017) Tropical North Queensland visitor profile  In 2019, the four largest source countries for international visitors were China, Japan, USA and UK  In 2017, Chinese tourists averaged around 3 nights per person, while individuals from the UK, NZ, France and Germany averaged 16 nights  48% of international visitors were between 20 and 35 years of age, with relatively few over 55 (2017)  Of the 1.5 million holiday visitors in 2017 (over 1.8 million in 2019), 55% spend at least three hours in an activity on the GBR, while 20% will participate in an activity in a wet tropics rainforest Marketing Tropical North Queensland as a destination for tourists Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ - state government department) is responsible for creating initiatives to promote Queensland as a desirable destination for visitors  Further, it collects visitation statistics and develops marketing strategies linking all tourism operators so that there is a coordinated approach between government and industry  Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) promotes the region as a nature-based tourism destination that delivers a range of exceptional experiences  Over time, there has been intense competition with Fiji, other Pacific Islands and a range of South-East Asia locations  Major events are encouraged such as the world’s finance leaders meeting in 2014 and the 2018 Commonwealth Games basketball Marketing Tropical North Queensland as a destination for tourists Previously, the brand “Adventurous by nature” had been marketed by using the promise of “feel the natural exhilaration of an Australian tropical adventure” in promotions  Now, “See great. Leave greater.” is being used to market the destination – used to inspire visitors to leave as custodians of the region  While all people are encouraged to visit the Cairns region, there are specific visitors TTNQ are targeting - including high value travellers (HVT), domestic millennials, international youth and adventure travellers, domestic grey nomads  Considerable sums are spent advertising the region across the world (specifically China, Japan, UK and North America) Case Study: A tourist operator in Tropical North Queensland  Small World Journeys (SWJ), a promoter of ecotourism practices:  Creates educational experiences for mainly secondary and tertiary students (both Australian and international) with the aim of developing knowledge and understanding of the unique environment  Runs a range of tours and trips focused on reef science, wildlife identification and protection, rainforest ecology, vegetation monitoring, botanical and avian studies, coral surveys and aboriginal culture  Also provides opportunities for adventurous activities such as diving, snorkelling, hiking, ropes courses, rock climbing, sea kayaking and white-water rafting Case Study: A tourist operator in Tropical North Queensland  SWJ endeavours to minimise the ecological footprint by introducing policies and actions, as well as advocating responsible tourist practices  E.g. Minimising group sizes, using local guides, ensuring visitors are educated about sustainable tourism practices and environments, promoting local Indigenous culture, using locally owned accommodation and restaurants  Also involve tourists in projects to restore landscapes such as rainforest rescue or reintroduce animals back to the wild e.g. supporting the Cairns turtle rehabilitation centre  SWJ is a member of Sustainable Travel International (STI) which promotes sustainable development through tourism – donates money to offset carbon footprint  SWJ is also a member of the International Ecotourism Society which sets the standards and guidelines by which companies can be classified as ecotourism operators