s New Zealand and Australia opened up a travel bubble in October , maybe there is some Antipodean light emerging at the end of the dark corona tunnel .

In normal times , Cairns & Great Barrier Reef present meeting planners with a combination of sustainable , first-class facilities and operators amid an amazing natural world .

The area has twin World Heritage-listed icons , the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest - natural delegate boosters for any event . The international airport is located 10 minutes from the centre of Cairns and in a normal year it handles up to five million travellers . In August the A $ 55m T2 Domestic Terminal upgrade was completed .

Anyone arriving by air to Cairns can view the great natural backdrop the city and its surroundings can offer for meetings and events . Add in unique venues , varied accommodation and professional event support and services and it becomes clear why Cairns prides itself on being a ‘ return-to ’ due destination for planners .

In nearby Palm Cove , planners can take advantage of an oasis of luxury for groups of up to 150 at several beach resorts . Palm Cove is close to iconic attractions including Skyrail Rainforest Cableway , Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park , AJ Hackett Cairns , Hartley ’ s Crocodile Adventures , KUR-Cow Barnwell Farm and Rainforestation Nature Park . It is a mix of unique venues , accommodation styles and local attractions that offers a great canvas for high-end smaller events and incentives .

Great Barrier Reef Port Douglas , an hour north of Cairns

along the Great Barrier Reef Drive , can handle larger conferences and incentives seeking an island vibe .

Hotel and resort facilities in Port Douglas can cater for up to 850 theatre-style with a range of accommodation options .

A 40-minute boat transfer away are the tropical hideaways of Green Island and Fitzroy Island , ideal locations for smaller residential meetings , incentives or day activities .

Both islands boast meeting spaces and accommodation nestled in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef , as well as snorkelling , glass-bottom boat rides , kayaking and visits to turtle rehabilitation centres .

All these venues and accommodation facilities operate under Queensland ’ s Covid-Safe plans .

Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef ’ s general manager Rosie Douglas says the Cairns to Brisbane route is now the busiest in Australia with more flights added from September to meet the demand . Direct Gold Coast and Darwin flights were introduced from September

Above : Cairns Convention Centre

and the Adelaide flights are returning to 100 % of their pre-Covid capacity .

“ Event planners even have a new venue to consider with the newly upgraded Cairns Airport domestic terminal ideal for interactive welcome events ,” Douglas says . “ The Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef team are conducting face-to-face site inspections for Queensland-based organisers and receiving leads for events up until 2025 ,” she adds .

The region ’ s five-star hotels and resorts have all embraced increased hygiene standards and safety protocols , procedures and training , with a particular focus on safe dining , meetings and events spaces . Riley , a Crystalbrook Collection Resort , has taken it a step further by becoming the first Australian hospitality company to introduce a cash-free environment .

Sectoral strengths What are the region ’ s strong suit sectors driving its events appeal ?

Tropical fruits , sugar , coffee , fishing , grass-fed beef , free-range pork and dairy