ATEC inbound Up North showcase

ONE hundred tourism industry representatives took to the train on board Queensland Rail’s Spirit of Queensland at last month’s annual ATEC Inbound Up North business to business event. The program kicked off on 25 October in Cairns where delegates were welcomed at the Cairns Aquarium, taking in an up close view of thousands of marine creatures, ahead of a day of workshops on board the train to Proserpine. “This is a highly anticipated annual event that has a long and successful history of profiling local tourism businesses to the international buyers who help sell their product to the world,” ATEC managing director Peter Shelley said. “It is a really valuable opportunity for North Queensland tourism businesses to showcase their unique products to buyers who arrange unique travel itineraries for international visitors.”

THE event, sponsored by Tourism & Events Queensland, Qantas, Queensland Rail Travel and Tourism Whitsundays, has been a key feature of the FNQ tourism calendar for 18 years. Qld Tourism and Major Events Minister Kate Jones says the state’s tourism industry was thriving as international and domestic visitor numbers continued to increase and travellers spent more money than ever before. “The ATEC Inbound Up North event offers a fantastic opportunity to further connect inbound tour operators with our tourism industry and share the incredible experiences within key visitor markets around the world,” she said. After their day on the train, delegates transferred to Airlie Beach where they enjoyed a farewell event hosted by Paradise Cove.