Business
31 October, 2025
Megan‘s tourism spirit
SOME of the most influential movers and shakers in the Far North’s tourism industry have been honoured at the 2025 Qantas and Jetstar TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards at the Cairns Convention Centre last Friday.
More than 350 guests celebrated the 50th anniversary of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ).
The organisation’s first chairman George Chapman and general manager Bill Cummings were among the former staff and board members alongside industry representatives to mark 50 years of working together to promote the region.
People such as developer and businessman John Morris of Port Douglas, Cairns hotel sales and marketing guru Cheryl Kelly, tourism marketer Megan Bell and entertainer Tony George were rewarded for their efforts to promote the region.
TTNQ chairman John O’Sullivan said TTNQ represented a trailblazing local industry sector built with personal investment and innovation by legends who worked together to form the region’s first tourism body, the Far North Queensland Development Bureau Limited registered on 12 September 1975.
“Over the past five decades there have been many visionaries and their legacy continues with Tropical North Queensland’s tourism industry developed by family businesses whose owners were proud to live and work in this region,” he said.
“They understood that marketing the destination together was the way forward and this mantra of hunting as a pack set them apart from their competitors.”
TTNQ chief executive officer Mark Olsen said the oldest and largest regional tourism organisation in Australia had been helped by many people to develop a world-class destination embracing its World Heritage assets.
History is an invaluable teacher and so we pause in the 50th year of Tourism Tropical North Queensland to look back at five decades of passion, innovation and resilience that have transformed Tropical North Queensland into the $4.5 billion powerhouse of today,” he said.
Guests received a commemorative history booklet titled ‘Hunting as a Pack’ and a new perpetual trophy, the Robbie Bastion award for inbound marketing, was launched recognising the individual, team or campaign demonstrating the hunting as a pack philosophy of putting the destination first. The trophy is in memory of the late Robbie Bastion, one of the destination’s key road warriors.
Award winners epitomise the spirit and value of tourism
THE winners of the 2025 Qantas and Jetstar TNQ Tourism Industry Excellence Awards are:
TTNQ life members
John Morris – has a long history of contributing to tourism in the region stretching back to 1976 when he developed the first tourism accommodation in Port Douglas after arriving with his family two years earlier to live. Now 97, he still hasn’t retired, keeping busy with his Restaurant Choo Choos in the Port Douglas Marina and recently completing Escape Villas. Mr Morris helped to develop the Douglas Shire development control plan to protect the community’s character and over the past five decades has developed much of the tourism infrastructure in Port Douglas including several resorts.
Cheryl Kelly – has extensive marketing experience with key roles including director of sales at Hilton Cairns and The Oasis. She has a long history of promoting the region and is one of the group who “hunted as a pack”, successfully selling Tropical North Queensland to the world in the 1990s and 2000s. Ms Kelly co-founded the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association for the region, was the North Queensland branch manager of the Australian Tourism Export Council and is a past president of Skal Cairns.
Outstanding commitment to the industry – Tony George, one of the region’s most sought-after entertainers and has performed nationally and internationally. His performances have been a key part of the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef business events offering for the past 30 years. He is also an MC and keynote speaker. television.
Outstanding contribution by an individual – Megan Bell, who has been a passionate advocate for Tropical North Queensland since she joined the Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau in 1995 after a 10-year stint running the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation’s LA office. She then worked for the Quicksilver Group for 22 years in sales and marketing, business events, cruise ships and media. She was awarded the 2009 North Queensland ATEC most outstanding contribution award, followed by the national ATEC most outstanding contribution award. Under Ms Bell’s stewardship, the NQ branch was also awarded the 2009 ATEC branch of the year.
Chairman’s award for excellence – Singapore Airlines, which has significantly advanced Tropical North Queensland’s international aviation recovery. The service was originally launched in May 2015 with affiliate SilkAir and expanded to daily flights. Last year the wide-body Airbus A350 was introduced on the route flying four times weekly.
Young achiever excellence award – James Egan, Mt Mulligan Lodge, who began his career in tourism at the age of 16 as a pastry chef and has rapidly progressed, becoming the general manager of Mt Mulligan Lodge at 33.
Customer service excellence award – Simon Rooke, Passions of Paradise, who has been the backbone of Passions of Paradise’s customer service for 20-plus years, bringing the same calm, positive attitude to every single day, no matter what challenges.
Sustainable tourism excellence – Tropic Wings made history as the first to introduce electric buses to the Australian tourism sector in 2018 and continues its business leadership with the nation’s only fully electric fleet for tours.
Robbie Bastion award for inbound marketing – Andrew Steel, who has been the owner of Hot Air Balloon for more than 30 years and before that was the managing partner of RnR Rafting. He joined the Tropical North Queensland tourism industry in 1985.
Best of Queensland experience excellence award – FNQ Nature Tours. With a perfect score of 100, FNQ Nature Tours has won this award for the third year in a row for its small group experiences.
