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Thursday, October 5, 2023

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

New Board Announced For Tourism Whitsundays

Five new members have been welcomed into the Tourism Whitsundays Board, breathing new life into an already dynamic group of local tourism professionals.

The newly announced members are Nathan Fleming of Ocean Rafting, Sue Watson owner of Pinnacles Airlie Beach, Phil Browne Director of True Blue Sailing and Nicole Graham owner of Iconic Whitsunday Adventures and one invited member, Carly Povey of Bonza Airlines.

Nathan Fleming is a seasoned tourism professional who is dedicated to promoting the region with a commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.

He has been a driving force in shaping the industry landscape and says he looks forward to leveraging his skills and experience to further elevate tourism initiatives.

Sue Watson has worked in the travel industry for the past 30 years, 18 years managing resorts and before that, as a travel consultant.

She is looking forward to helping promote the Whitsundays as one of the best tourist destinations and being a “strong voice for the accommodation sector in this region.”

“I am extremely excited and proud to be a part of Tourism Whitsundays,” she said.

Phil Browne has worked in the tourism industry for the past 25 years and he hopes to bring renewed energy and focus to the youth and adventure market, which he considers a vital part of our community.

“I feel enormously thankful and proud to have been nominated onto the board, and I can’t wait to begin working with the other directors and the awesome team within TW,” he said.

The board positions are as follows: Julie Telford as Chair, Tom Young as Deputy Chair, Sue Watson as Treasurer and Crystal Lacey as Secretary.

Nicole Graham has worked in the tourism industry for 28 years and says she enjoys its energy, people, and challenges.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to join the board,” she said.

“I am eager to contribute my expertise and skills to the team, and I am confident that together, we will achieve great things.”

Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Whitsundays, Rick Hamilton said he is thrilled to have another strong group of individuals representing the board again this year.

"We have another strong Board leading us into the next year, with backgrounds covering island resorts, accommodation, marine operations, legal and airlines,” he said.

“The make up of this year's board puts us in a great position to navigate the peaks and troughs expected over the next 12 months.

“I am looking forward to working closely with this Board and drawing on their considerable knowledge of The Whitsundays.”

The newly elected board members – Phil Browne, Sue Watson, Nathan Fleming, and Nicole Graham. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

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Barra World Report

Bon voyage gilmour rocket, proserpine veterans golf update, ngaro track opportunities for businesses.

Conversations and AGM 

THERE’S been a lot of activity in Tourism Whitsundays, of late, as we’ve recently hosted Conversations with Industry, with Tourism and Events Queensland.

This was a great session that allowed everyone to see what Tourism and Events Queensland has planned for the next 12 months and, in some degree, beyond to 2032.

With such huge Overnight Expenditure targets placed on regional areas to deliver in time for the 2032 Olympics, Conversations with Industry allowed operators the chance to raise any questions they may have about how the region is expected to reach that target and what support there will be.  

Following Conversations was the Tourism Whitsundays’ AGM, where we welcomed four new elected board members: Nathan Fleming of Ocean Rafting, Sue Watson of Pinnacles, Phil Browne of Whitsunday Sailing Adventures and Nicole Graham of Iconic Whitsunday Adventures.

The board also welcomed invited member, Carly Povey of Bonza Airlines. I’m looking forward to working with our new board over the next year. 

After an afternoon of information, we went straight into the September networking event, on the Jetty at Coral Sea Resort.

What a stunning location for an event, everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 

New Data 

Released for World Tourism Day, the latest National Visitor Survey Data provided insights into visitation and Overnight Visitors (OVE) in the Whitsundays.

The results for the year ending June 2023, show a total of 765,000 domestic visitors and 68,000 international visitors to the region.

The OVE for the same period was $1.3bn, down from a record-breaking $1.6bn, and up 150 per cent on pre-pandemic OVE results.

Overall, the data painted a positive picture of visitation to the Whitsundays.  

A night of Celebration 

The countdown to the Whitsundays Tourism Awards is in single digits.

Aimee and the team have pulled together another standout event and we’re looking forward to celebrating our Business and Tourism Award nominees and winners, on the night.

Ticket sales are almost finished, so if you are wanting to join us on October 20, at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre, get in quick to secure your ticket at www.whitsundaystourismawards.com.au  

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Home » News » Tourism Whitsundays makes key hire following funding win

Tourism Whitsundays makes key hire following funding win

Tourism Whitsundays has welcomed a new addition to its team via a federal government funding grant to drive proactive business opportunities for the region’s tourism industry.

Respected brand and product development leader Nicole Riksman has commenced in the role of industry development manager for the Whitsundays – a position made possible through the government’s Recovery for Regional Tourism Fund.

Funding of $3 million was secured by Tourism Whitsundays to deliver a range of regional initiatives, including a Whitsundays product and industry development project, with the appointment of Riksman a critical step in driving this initiative.

With over 12 years of Aussie travel industry experience, Riksman has held a range of senior roles for brands such as Student Flights, Escape Travel and Flight Centre.

Riksman will be based in the Whitsundays for the 12-month contract role, and will be accessible to tourism businesses in the region for support in nurturing their products and experiences.

Tash Wheeler, CEO of Tourism Whitsundays, said Riksman will be central to the organisation’s tourism recovery strategy and will focus on supporting local operators.

“We’re thrilled to have Nicole on board to assist us in encouraging and facilitating experience-based opportunities for the region, developing tourism products and identifying investment prospects to benefit the industry,” she said.

“We recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the current tourism experiences on offer in the Whitsundays region, highlighting gaps and areas of potential development, and Nicole’s key focus will be to drive outcomes from this work in partnership with our industry.

“The overarching mission of this important role is to retain and create jobs by driving visitation growth, boosting consumer demand and improving product diversity to better leverage the domestic tourism market. Nicole’s knowledge and expertise will be invaluable in achieving these goals.”

Wheeler said this balance was critical to ensuring current and future prosperity for the region.

“In addition to nurturing experiences suited to Australian travellers, Nicole will be working closely with our marketing and trade teams to ensure there is a vibrant, inbound tourism offering in place, ready for when international visitors return to Australia and the beautiful Whitsundays region,” she said.

Commenting on her appointment, Riksman said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting with operators from across the Whitsundays region to better understand their diverse challenges and supporting them to navigate through these challenges to areas of opportunity.

“The impacts of the past 18 months on travel and tourism have been significant, particularly in regions such as ours that had such a reliance on international visitation.

“I’ll be working hand-in-hand with industry to ensure we can harness the current domestic travel market but also maintain a longer-term international preparedness.”

Email the Travel Weekly team at [email protected]

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• Whitsundays

The stunning Whitsundays renowned for its Great Barrier Reef tours to Whitehaven beach, helicopter rides over Heart Reef and Great Barrier Reef sailing holidays. The Whitsundays offer Great Barrier Reef tour experiences for everyone.

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About The Whitsundays

Made up of 74 stunning islands, the Whitsundays is not only home to one of the world’s best beaches – Whitehaven Beach – but it’s also the heart of the Great Barrier Reef with a naturally heart-shaped reef to prove it.

From thrill-seeking water sports at Airlie Beach,  to multi island Great Barrier Reef tours from Mackay  and sailing on a yacht around the islands of the Whitsundays, to camping under the stars in the middle of the Reef, day hikes through spectacular national parks and luxuriating on Hamilton Island, there's a Whitsundays holiday to suit every traveller.    

So where to even begin when there are so many destinations – both on and off the mainland – to choose from?

The good news is that with so many Great Barrier Reef tours and liveaboard snorkelling and dive tours departing from the Coral Sea Marina, the Port of Airlie, and Shute Harbour you can explore as much of this region as you like. Or, if you’d prefer a more relaxed, indulgent experience, there are options for that too.

Top things to do Whitsundays:

• The ultimate way to experience the Whitsundays is on liveaboard sailing tours.
• Snorkel and dive the Great Barrier Reef. Choose from our great value Whitsundays snorkel and dive tours for couples, families and singles/groups (18-35s),  charters boats  and our great value $$$ saving  combo package deals. 
• Take a half-day trip , a  full day trip or overnight sailing adventure to Whitsunday Island to sink your toes into the white silica sands and swim in the crystal clear waters of famed Whitehaven Beach .
• Visit Whitehaven Beach - with a range of options including half day, full day reef trips and even scenic flights.
• Paddle around Hamilton Island in a sea kayak, make some furry friends at the island's wildlife park or walk the island's spectacular trail to Passage Peak for awe-inspiring 360 views of the Whitsundays. 
• Spend a memorable night glamping on the reef and under the stars with Reefsleep  or the new luxury  Reef Suites .
• Soar over Heart Reef by seaplane or helicopter to view this amazing natural formation.
• Skipper a bareboat yacht through Whitsunday Passage. Or find a spot on the deck of a crewed yacht and sip champagne while the islands, (and the humpback whales if you’re there between July and September) slip past.
• Absorb the breathtaking beauty of Nara Inlet. If you visit the inlet after it rains, you could cool off beneath a waterfall.
• Walk among baby stingrays at the world’s biggest open-air aquarium on Daydream Island's, the Living Reef. 
• Enjoy a multi island snorkel tour to some of the most beautiful islands in the Whitsundays from Mackay .
• Enjoy family fun at Cannonvale's sheltered beach, located just minutes from Airlie Beach. 
• Follow in the footsteps of the Whitsundays traditional owners on the Ngaro Sea Trail.

How to get to the Whitsundays:

• By plane. Fly direct to Hamilton Island’s airport from Brisbane, Cairns , Sydney, or Melbourne.
• There is also the Whitsunday Coast Airport, on the mainland near Airlie Beach. From there you can board a ferry for your island adventure.

Get to know The Whitsundays

Tours, Activities & Attractions

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Places to see in the whitsundays.

• Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach, the vibrant mainland gateway to the Whitsundays is an aquatic playground with plenty for thrill seekers and nature lovers to choose from. Book a Sail and snorkel tour thru the Whitsundays passage on an overnight reef trip. Take a scenic flight over Heart Reef, or dive the depths of the Great Barrier Reef

• Hamilton Island

One of Australia's most popular holiday destinations and the only island in the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef with its own commercial airport. Hamilton Island is a holiday hotspot for local and international visitors, boasting pristine white beaches, a kaleidoscope of coral and marine life, and year-round mild temperatures. See all the tours and attractions of Hamilton Island here.

Explore Heart Reef on an exclusive helicopter flight and land at the exclusive Heart Reef pontoon to explore this iconic location. Heart Reef is a naturally formed coral reef in the shape of a love heart which can be viewed in the Whitsundays on a spectacular Great Barrier Reef tour by helicopter or seaplane

• Whitehaven Beach

With fine white silica sand and a maze of stunning sandbars linked by azure-coloured tidal pools, Whitehaven Beach is considered to be the most beautiful beach in Australia. Boats arrive daily at Whitehaven Beach to admire the beauty of the swirling sands and brillant blue waters against the back drop of green atop Hill Inlet lookout. Book a Whitehaven Beach tour when visiting the Whitsundays.

• Daydream Island

Don't lay around the pool all day on Daydream Island as you are on the Great Barrier Reef so you need to get off and explore it on a snorkelling or scuba diving tour. Take a jet boat ride to Whitehaven Beach or visit the outer reef.

Mackay is the jump off point for snorkel tours to the Great Barrier Reef. Visit multiple islands in one day on the most exciting Great Barrier Reef snorkel tours by fast jet boat. Explore the coral reefs, deserted islands and beaches on a Mackay snorkel tour.

• Shute Harbour

Located close to Airlie Beach, Shute Harbour is a forest-clad, secluded jumping off point for many of the Whitsunday Island Tours. Shute Harbour is also the closest location to the Whitsunday Airport where guests can take scenic helicopter rides, airplane scenic flights and sailing holidays over the iconic locations of the Whitsunday Islands.

Surrounded by sugarcane plantations, riverfront Proserpine is the first mainland port of call for Whitsunday visitors.

Islands & Beaches

• Great Barrier Reef Blog

Discover the Great Barrier Reef on a sailing holiday from Cairns or Port Douglas. Read our ultimate guide to your sailing holiday on the Great Barrier Reef.

Essential insights for visitors looking to explore Hill Inlet, detailing how to get there, what to expect, and the hidden treasures awaiting discovery beyond the famous swirling shimmering silica sands.

Is Hill Inlet on Whitehaven Beach and can we visit both on the same day?

Whitsundays Sailing Ultimate Guide - Join us on your next holiday and discover the unparalleled beauty of the world-famous Whitsundays, a true yachting paradise for sailing enthusiasts. Nestled in the heart of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands offer crystal-clear waters, pristine beaches, and vibrant marine life, making it the perfect setting for an unforgettable yachting and sailing holiday. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or new to the nautical life, the Whitsundays has a sailing holiday option for everyone no matter your age or ability.

Whether you are on land or at sea, there’s plenty of places to go wild with wildlife spotting along the Great Barrier Reef.  

How long does it take to get to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns? It very well may seem like a simple and easy question to answer, however, there are so many variables that make the answer not quite as straight forward as you may have initially thought.

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Post-Tribune | Dunes Tourism board president holds appointed…

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Post-Tribune

Post-tribune | dunes tourism board president holds appointed seat — for now, commissioners president plans to call for board restructuring.

After a dramatic interplay between himself and the Porter County Council Tuesday night Mitch Peters, president of the Indiana Dunes Tourism Board, managed to hold onto his post – for now.

Council President Mike Brickner, R-At-Large, Vice President Red Stone, R-1st, and member Andy Vasquez, R-4th, voted to remove him, while members Greg Simms, D-3rd, Sylvia Graham, D-At-Large, and Andy Bozak, R-At-Large, voted to retain him resulting in a tie because member Jeremy Rivas, D-2nd, was absent.

Board of Commissioners President Jim Biggs, R-North, said by phone Wednesday that he will call for a restructuring of that board, removing Peters by default, at the next commissioners meeting on May 14. He said an analysis of the state statute dictating the makeup of county tourism boards reveals those serving must be employed in tourism.

Peters is a defense attorney involved with facilities for men coming out of addiction.

Peters, flanked by new Dunes Tourism CEO Christine Livingston and five members of that board’s executive committee, addressed the council at the end of its meeting, offering up apologies for the handling of the departure of former IDT CEO Lorelei Weimer, who left the post in January with a $225,000 severance package.

“We weren’t as accountable as we should have been,” he said. “We appreciate that each of you are accountable to the voters of Porter County. This isn’t going to happen again.”

Peters and Livingston gave a brief rundown of the changes they are making to IDT to make it more community-focused with an emphasis on partnerships with sister organizations such as the Porter County Expo Center and Memorial Opera House.

While he remained polite and complimentary of the “wisdom” represented by the IDT board members in attendance, Brickner, after speaking at length following an absence in recent months for medical reasons, called for a vote to remove Peters, who was reappointed by the council to the 11-member board in January. Peters has been on the board for 14 years and president for 13.

“Our responsibility as a council is to the taxpayers. I consider our appointments as an extension of the council,” Brickner said. “I am disappointed. This is not personal, but when we appoint someone, I expect transparency.”

Stone said he spoke to Weimer for four hours on the eve of her non-disclosure agreement taking effect. “She didn’t lie. She didn’t cheat. And she didn’t steal. That’s what you said,” he said to Peters. “I believe we were misled to pass the $225,000.”

Vasquez said his vote to approve the settlement would have been different if he had had more information. “I think I was misled,” he said.

Bozak, who pointed out that he voted against the settlement, also argued against removing Peters. “I also think if we remove Mitch at this time that causes a lot of turmoil,” he said.

Graham agreed. “Am I happy how it turned out? No, but we have to go on,” she said. “To say that he has to go after all his years of expertise . . . He screwed up, but haven’t we all?”

IDT board member Don Ensign, who would be one of the board members removed for lack of a tourism background, according to Biggs, defended Peters, saying the driver behind all the board’s choices during the settlement negotiation with Weimer was making sure “Lorelei was given a great deal of dignity and respect.”

He said the board was “absolutely wrong” in not apprising the council of that process while it was happening.

“I didn’t know I was going to be called in here and called a liar. You’ve called me a liar,” Peters said, adding that he was not going to get into details about Weimer because there is a non-disclosure agreement regarding her departure.

“Now,” Stone replied. “Now there is.”

Simms wanted to table the vote until Rivas could be present.

“Well, we have a quorum,” Vasquez responded.

Weimer, who sat at the back of the room throughout the meeting, was invited to come to the microphone. IDT board member Richard Riley spoke up to say the vote on Peters needed to happen first.

The council looked to their attorney Harold Harper for clarification on the rules of order. He said it was at the discretion of the council president whether Weimer was allowed to speak before or after the vote.

She was invited up. She told the council she was told by the IDT board and its attorney David Hollenbeck that she could either retire or be fired. She added that while it was clearly a violation of the Open Door Law, she was told the IDT board had the votes lined up to fire her.

“I said I could not take this risk and Dave said, ‘That’s probably a good decision,’” Weimer said. “Nobody has any idea what this man has done to me since August.”

“Are you talking about me?” Peters asked her.

“Yes,” she replied.

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

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