Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s inaugural Chairman and General Manager are sharing their memories of tourism emerging in Cairns and quickly eclipsing much larger industries like agriculture as the organisation marks its 50th anniversary this year.
George Chapman was the first Chairman and Bill Cummings the first General Manager of the Far North Queensland Development Bureau Limited when it was registered under the Corporations Act on September 12, 1975, changing its name to the Far North Queensland Promotions Bureau Limited in 1978 to reflect the realisation that the region’s fortunes were increasingly tied to tourism.
The name Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) was adopted in 1998 to reflect the new destination marketing name of Tropical North Queensland but was not registered as the company name until January 11, 2023 when the constitution was changed.
Mr Cummings is researching the history of the tourism industry, which he continued to be involved in when he established an economic research consultancy in Cairns in 1981, and his extensive knowledge is helping Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) trace its 50-year history.
“There were various regional and tourism promotion bodies in the region in the 60s and early 70s, but the official regional tourism promotion organisation emerged from the Far North Queensland Development Bureau creating a sub-Board for Tourism and Travel which first met in 1971. The organisation was subsequently incorporated in 1975 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee,” he said.
George Chapman, whose family business has reinvested $85 million into upgrading Skyrail Rainforest Cableway as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, had a surveying business in the 60s when he became involved in community service and saw the opportunity to promote the Cairns region as a place to invest and live in.
“We started off with a development focus in the 70s but we could see all the action was in tourism,” he said.
“When tourism started to pick up in the late 70s, we knew we needed international flights for it to be successful. Despite much lobbying, the Federal Government decided Townsville would be the international airport. I told them they should find out where people want to go before they decided on the location.”
Mr Chapman was part of a group of civic leaders and businessmen who continued to push for an international airport and on March 31, 1984 the $35 million Cairns Airport redevelopment opened with a week-long community celebration.
TTNQ CEO Mark Olsen said the new Cairns Airport was the start of a $86 million tourism construction boom with the Cairns and Douglas region’s room stock exploding from 1700 to almost 2700 in just three years turning tourism into a $175 million industry that accounted for 19 per cent of the region’s economy.
“While Cairns Airport was the turning point for tourism in Tropical North Queensland, it was the passion of innovative people like George and Bill who helped to shape today’s $4.5 billion industry which is now responsible for one in six jobs,” he said.
“On October 24 the industry will come together for the annual TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards at the Cairns Convention Centre.
“This year will be even more special as we acknowledge 50 years of hard work in growing an industry that has generated employment, business opportunities, and an extraordinary array of experiences that we can enjoy with visitors from across the globe.”
