General News
15 July, 2026
World focus on dive sites
CAIRNS and the Great Barrier Reef will host the inaugural PADI AmbassaDiver Summit later this year, bringing together influential divers, storytellers, ocean advocates and celebrities from around the world for the first event of its kind.
The summit will run from 30 November to 5 December, with delegates diving on reefs off Cairns and Port Douglas before continuing to other parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
Hosted in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), the summit will showcase the region’s diving, conservation leadership, Indigenous culture and natural attractions.
The event also coincides with PADI’s 60th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Cairns as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Mark Olsen said securing the inaugural summit was a major endorsement of the region.
“The Great Barrier Reef is the number one diving destination in the world and Cairns is the number one classroom. It is where more divers have learned to dive than anywhere else in Australia, arguably more than anywhere else in the southern hemisphere,” he said.
Mr Olsen said 14 AmbassaDivers from around the world would complete three dives a day over two days on the Great Barrier Reef before diving off Port Douglas, sharing their experiences with millions of followers.
“The world needs to know just how well cared for and loved the Great Barrier Reef is and the Ambassador Divers Summit is the perfect way to do that.”
Pro Dive Cairns master reef guide and dive instructor Gabby Childs said she was looking forward to introducing the visitors to the Reef’s marine life, with the summit timed to coincide with the annual coral spawning season.
“Usually, a lot of the time, people don’t realise just how diverse the Reef actually is, and once they get amongst it, it really blows their minds and sort of encourages them to want to take care of it as well,” she said.
Ms Childs said delegates could encounter sharks, turtles, clownfish, giant clams and, if conditions were right, witness coral spawning.
Entrada Travel Group TNQ chief operating officer Peter Abbott said the summit would benefit businesses across the region by promoting Cairns as a world-class dive destination.
“PADI’s a worldwide brand, and obviously there’s a huge database of divers out there that want to experience unique places. PADI focusing that attention for their 60th anniversary to come to Cairns and come to the Great Barrier Reef ... the Great Barrier Reef talks for itself.”
Mr Abbott said visitors attracted by the event would also spend time in local accommodation, restaurants and shops, helping support the broader tourism economy.
Following the Cairns program, delegates will continue to Townsville North Queensland, The Whitsundays and Bundaberg Southern Great Barrier Reef, with PADI saying the inaugural AmbassaDiver Summit is intended to become an annual global gathering promoting diving, conservation and ocean stewardship.
