TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND
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A new era
Tropical North Queensland is in the midst of a significant period of development, and the buzz around town
shows the region is excited about what’s to come, writes Brittney Levinson.
Tropical North Queensland’s premium
business events products, including
accommodation, attractions and venues,
were on show to 30 event planners and
media recently for the annual Sell TNQ
program. Sell TNQ 2017 was a particularly
exciting edition, as delegates were able to
see first-hand the array of developments
taking shape. Rosie Douglas, director of
business events at Cairns and Great Barrier
Reef, says 2017 has seen the start of an
exciting era for the region.
“New hotels, attractions and experiences
bring a new level of interest into the region
which allows us to showcase not only these
new developments but remind people of
the world class infrastructure that already
operates in the region,” she says.
CAIRNS
The new-build Cairns Aquarium recently
opened its doors, bringing a new attraction
and event space to the city. The fact that
the construction of the aquarium saw the
first cranes in the city in a decade shows
it truly is a new era for Cairns. Nearby, the
first of the three Crystalbrook Collection
hotels coming to Cairns is starting to take
shape. Opening in August 2018, the hotel
has been called “Riley” and will feature a
playful, contemporary design. Located on
the Esplanade, Riley will boast 311 rooms
including six suites, dining and bar options,
and meeting spaces for up to 400 people.
Following this, Crystalbrook Collection will
open a 220-room hotel in mid-2019 and a
third hotel in early 2020 with just over 300
rooms. The Crystalbrook development is
having a flow-on effect on the rest of the
region’s accommodation offering, with a few
hotels already hinting at refurbishments in
the very near future. Novotel Cairns Oasis
Resort will be releasing details soon about
its upcoming refurbishment, and Shangri-La
Hotel The Marina Cairns has confirmed a full
hotel refurbishment that will start next year.
Cairns is also gearing up for the 2018
Commonwealth Games that will take place
22 Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 6, 2017 www.cimmagazine.com
on Queensland’s Gold Coast in April. While
majority of the action will be happening
down south, Cairns Convention Centre will
host preliminary rounds of the Men’s and
Women’s basketball. The state government
has backed the region and its period of
growth by announcing $176 million in
funding for an upgrade and expansion of
Cairns Convention Centre. While details of
what the expansion will look like are still
under wraps, the centre has confirmed it
will include a refurbishment of the existing
building plus new exhibition space and
meeting rooms.
Hemingway’s Brewery is also starting to
take shape in the heritage-listed Shed 2 of
the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal. When it
opens in mid-2018, it will feature a state-of-
the-art brewery with 10 times the capacity of
Hemingway’s original venue in Port Douglas.
The multimillion dollar development will
comprise a gastro brewpub housing seven,
7000 litre fermentation tanks, a restaurant
and dedicated event space.