Adventure and

Nature Based

Tourism

ADVENTURE AND NATURE BASED TOURISM

IN TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Timeline

October 2018: Spoke with Mayors and councillors about building critical mass of ecotourism developments in the north.

December 2018 to Now: DITID staff visited the area to

better understand local priorities, opportunities and industry context

Our Findings Strengths and weaknesses

STRENGTHS

•Location: Gateway to Cape York

•Environment: Outstanding natural environment combining reef and rainforest experiences

•Existing product mix: Diversified product mix including walks, bike trails and accommodation options

•Accessibility: Excellent accessibility by domestic and international travellers via an international airport

•Demand: Strong domestic market demand with increasing demand by international visitors

WEAKNESSES

•Marketing: Marketing could better highlight region rather than focus on local opportunities

•Seasonality: Peaks and troughs in demand during the week and across seasons

•Coordination: Local initiatives failed through lack of organisational and/or financial capacity.

•Traditional Owner involvement: Capacity and capability of Traditional Owners in advancing sustainable projects not fully utilised

•Ageing Product: New investment is required to ‘reinvigorate’ the TNQ tourism offering

What we sawOpportunities and threats

OPPORTUNITIES

• Alliance approach: Opportunity to build partnerships, linkages and relationships among key industry

• Building on regional strengths: Build on the region’s strengths with a focus on one or two “hero” experiences to act as a drawcard.

• Packaging: Chance to package opportunities to maximise stays in the region

• Levering existing opportunities: e.g. Link new projects to Wangetti Trail, proposed global tourism hub, Cairns Aquarium etc.

• Product opportunity: The market is moving to experiences rather than destinations. TNQ is well placed to develop new or expanded experiential product.

THREATS

• Incoherent promotion: Failure to coherently promote the whole region as a destination will result in sub-optimal economic, social and environmental returns

• Stale product: Existing product mix does not meet changing demand

• Regulation: Navigating regulatory environment may delay the development of new tourism products if not supported by government

• Not involving Traditional Owners: Failure to optimise the role of Traditional Owners in the development progress may result in opportunities missed.

oBroaden base of existing Adventure and Nature Based Tourism Opportunities Program

from mainly walks to support other project types

oPriority on other ‘needle shifting’ ecotourism projects that leverage existing adventure and

nature based option

oDeliver projects in a manner considered timely by industry to build industry confidence

How the Queensland Government can help

Role of Program Control Group

An interdepartmental CEO-level committee

• Innovation and Tourism Industry Development and Comm. Games

• Natural Resources, Mines and Energy

• Environment and Science

• State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

Role

• Prioritise proposals submitted for State Government support

• Facilitate de-risking of priority proposals to optimise private sector investment

• Facilitate the progress of prioritised proposals

• Advise on funding options and where necessary, assist with securing funds.

Adventure and Nature Based Tourism Opportunities Program

oAdventure and Nature Based Tourism Opportunities Program delivered by multidisciplinary group of

highly skilled, senior level staff from DITID with successful track records in the areas of regulation,

business development, commerce, and infrastructure delivery.

oANBTO Program can directly support priority projects by using these skills to help proponents

navigate regulation, financing and other commercial arrangements and/or directly deliver

infrastructure projects that the private sector can use on a commercial basis (e.g. Wangetti Trail)

oProgram Control Group oversighting the ANBTO Program can act as a clearing house for issues

across Queensland Government and ensure that agencies provide appropriate focus and assistance

to priority proponents.

PCG and DITID work program set by outcomes of the Projects Pipeline

Projects Pipeline

Member Department

Nominates projects for consideration to Senior Officials

Group setting out support requirement

Senior Officials Group

Assesses nominations against criteria and makes a

recommendation to PCG

Program Control Group

• Considers SOG recommendation

• Successful projects progressed under auspices of PCG

Adventure and Nature Based Tourism Opportunities in TNQ

o Atherton to Gordonvale and Babinda

o Daintree to Cooktown

o Misty Mountain and link trails

o Goldfield Trail

o Mission Beach Cardwell MBT/ H track

o Sunny Savanah

o Kuranda rainforests/ Downhill

o Smithfield Expansion

o Atherton Forest Bike Park Expansion

o Bump Trail

o Atherton link trails – Davies Creek, Smithfield,

Gordonvale, Innisfail and Port Douglas

o Misty Mountain Link Trails – Ravenshoe, Milla Milla,

Mena Creek, Palmerson Highway and Tully Gorge

Babinda

Goldsborough Valley

Current Priorities

oThe ROC members have already

nominated several projects for inclusion

in the ANBTO Program.

oDITID has so far identified four as

priorities for consideration by the PCG for

inclusion on the work program:

• Kuranda Rainforest Trails and

Downhill Bike Track

• Smithfield Mountain Bike Park

Expansion

• Atherton Forest Park Extension and

Atherton Link Trails

• Goldfields Trail

Current Priorities

Kuranda Rainforest Trails and Downhill Bike TrackSmithfield Mountain Bike Park Expansion

Atherton Forest Park Extension and Atherton Link Trails

Goldfields Trail

Supporting partners

Tourism Tropical North Queensland

oTTNQ was consulted during this work and regarding the

creation of an adventure and nature tourism strategy for

the Tropical North Queensland.

oTTNQ is supportive of the opportunity to promote

adventure and nature based offerings in the region and

have offered to pay 50% salary for an officer to identify

and promote existing attractions.

Wet Tropics Management Authority

oThe Program Team are working closely with WTMA to

progress new and iconic ecotourism experiences such as

the Wangetti Trail.

oWTMA will be engaged as part of the development of the

adventure and nature based tourism strategy.

Recommendations going forward

oDITID, ROC, TTNQ to discuss formalising

an ongoing partnership to identify

significant opportunities for nomination to

the Pipeline of Projects.

oDevelop ROC-based adventure and

nature based tourism strategy that

integrates/connects new and existing

experiences.

oTTNQ and ROC discuss funding

FNQROC Tourism Development Officer

(TTNQ have offered to 50% cost share)

QldEcotourismTrails

QldEcoTrails

www.ditid.qld.gov.au