No real action on tourism

OUR Far North tourism blight has been brought to light, however some of the responses from readers leave me speechless. They don’t understand the importance of tourism, not only in the

Far North, but all over Australia.

Then again the recent workshops and multi-layered talks sounded more like the average pub talk. Numbers are the leverage on what resources, funding and focus is on. Nothing has been learned since we opened the international airport in 1984. No vision. Just predictions. No real action. Just patch-up work.

Blind actions by both political representations in past and present have forgotten how to diversify, manage, action, execute and produce a quality tourism future for 159,000 plus people here.

Instead of mulling over collated figures and futuristic dream outcomes, spend a week with a few tourism operators, limousine companies and stand behind a hotel reception for a day and get a feel for tourism.

Roland H. Ziegler, North Cairns

Editor’s note: Future Tourism resulted in a three-point action plan which the

will be holding all accountable to. 1930: Clyde William Tombaugh, working with photographic plates at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona, discovers Pluto.

1960: The last Bondi tram shoots through to the Sydney beachside suburb before the service is closed. 1963: The Queen and Prince Philip arrive in Australia on visit for the 50th anniversary of Canberra.

2011: Australia welcomes Japan’s announcement it is halting its Antarctic whaling mission for the rest of the season, blaming interference from environmentalists.

2014: Former Labor MP Craig Thomson is found guilty of theft and fraud, including using an HSU credit card to pay for sex.

2015: US Court of Military Commission Review strikes down the March 2007 conviction of Australian David Hicks (above) for supporting terrorism.