Bye bye 2016, welcome 2017

AS we farewell 2016 we can look forward to an even better 12 months next year.

There is a lot to celebrate with our main industry of tourism surging ahead in leaps and bounds.

The region is becoming an investment hot spot as record numbers of visitors from overseas and within Australia are drawn to the tropics.

Hopefully tourism earnings will start to filter through to the general economy which has yet to reap the benefits of billion dollar visitor spending.

The sector has been repaying debts, upgrading or adding new infrastructure, such as Reef vessels, and giving existing staff longer or permanent shifts.

But, with more money in the bank, companies will start to spend more in other areas of the economy.

The $50 million aquarium is due to open in April, giving visitors another attraction, more jobs and an ongoing goods and services injection.

The long-awaited direct flight from China should be signed and sealed and ready to be delivered in Chinese New Year 2018.

Soon the first wave of 2017 Chinese New Year revellers from throughout Asia will start arriving in the Far North for the annual celebrations.

The first new hotel in 20 years, the $100 million GA Group’s building at Abbott, Aplin and Lake streets, is expected to start as well as a multimillion upgrade of the group’s Tradewinds hotel on the Esplanade.

Stage one of $550 million Nova City – Nova Light – is due to begin next year as well.

However, what we really need is a proper wet season to start this weekend too.