Cairns North Zone Director Sheena Walshaw Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours Sheena has over twenty years marketing experience spanning several disciplines on both sides of the globe. She started her career in publishing in London, promoting some of the biggest selling books of the 1990s before setting up her own Public Relations & Marketing consultancy. In 1998 she returned to Cape Tribulation to the jungle she d fallen in love with as a backpacker. She has worked in the tourism industry ever since, running resorts, a dive boat, transfers and land tours. In 2006 she joined Jungle Surfing - a small business operating zipline and tree platform tours through the Daintree Rainforest - and since then has overseen the company s journey to become one of the cornerstones of the Daintree tourism industry, and recipient of twenty regional, state and national tourism awards. Sheena became Managing Director in 2010 following the death of owner Stephen Walsh, and along with controlling the strategic development of the business, also continues to take responsibility for Sales & Marketing, travelling widely in market both domestically and internationally. Sheena is a passionate advocate of the Daintree and Tropical North Queensland region. She is Chair of Tourism Port Douglas & Daintree; a founding Director of the Daintree Marketing Cooperative and a member of the QTIC judging panel for the 2016 Queensland Tourism Awards. As a General Director of TTNQ she currently chairs the Western Markets and Domestic Strategic Panels.
Cairns South Zone Director Ross Steele Cairns Convention Centre Ross Steele is the General Manager of the Cairns Convention Centre. The Centre has twice been awarded AIPC s World s Best Congress Centre, in 2004 and 2014. The Cairns Convention Centre is a major contributor to the economic diversity of Cairns through Business Event Tourism and contributes between $60 - $80 million in Direct Economic Impact annually to the Cairns economy. The Centre promotes the destination vigorously both nationally and internationally and has a long history of success in bringing internationally renowned events to the destination. The Business Events sector is an important part of the tourism industry in our region and as a part of this industry Ross believes he can continue to assist with the forward planning and strategic direction of the way we as a destination approach, market and win this important business. Furthermore, he sees the opportunity to continue to provide a direct link between Business Events Tourism and the leisure and accommodation industry so as to maximise the benefits for the region as a whole. A qualified accountant and Fellow of CPA Australia, Ross has gained experience in a number of industries including the past 19 years in venue management and is a Certified Facility Executive. Ross is also involved in or has a direct relationship to other relevant industry groups including Advance Cairns, International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) Australia as Treasurer; Australian Convention Centre Managers Group; Business Events Council of Australia as Company Secretary and is currently Deputy Chair of TTNQ, Chair of the TTNQ Finance and Risk Management Committee and Chair of the Business Events Strategic Advisory Group.
General Directors Todd Parker Parker Travel Collection Todd is the Founder and Managing Director of Parker Travel Collection which has sales offices around Australia, China, North America and Korea. Todd established his company in 1997 and it is now an award winning tourism business development company providing sales and marketing solutions to travel, tourism, destinations, events and business projects throughout Australia and abroad. His business has taken him to most parts of the world, engendering a strong sense of community and a strong understanding of diverse cultures. Todd is engaged as a Global Distribution mentor for Tourism Australia and the clientele of his own business includes several state governments, regional councils, major hotel chains, touring, event, destination, attraction and shopping centre partners. He brings a wealth of experience in marketing, sales and business acumen from across a broad variety of markets. Most recently, Todd has led his own company s foray into the burgeoning China market and is now recognised as a leader in this market. Todd is the Chairman of the TNQ Major Events Advisory Committee and had served on the TTNQ board on a number of occasions. Over a thirty (30) year career it Cairns, Todd has donated his time to a number of boards and community events and currently sits on the board of Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Trinity Anglican School. Todd is passionate about growing TNQ as a destination and has the experience and the contacts to enhance the potential of the region.
Peter Woodward Capta Group Peter s family have operated tourism attractions in the region since 1976. As a result, Peter has developed extensive work experience in the tourism sector since an early age. Peter attended the University of Queensland and completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) along with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) and then commenced his professional career in the financial planning industry in Brisbane. In 2004, Peter returned to Cairns and was appointed General Manager of the CaPTA Group (CaPTA) operated entities RnR White Water Rafting and Jungle Tours & Trekking. In 2006 he was also appointed a Director of CaPTA and worked on many of the business interests within the group. In 2010 Peter took on the role of General Manager of Respax, a tour reservation development software company that services companies in the TTNQ region as well as throughout Australia and Asia-Pacific. As a result of his experience at both CaPTA and Respax, Peter has developed a solid understanding of all facets of operating a tourism business and what issues are important for the industry, including: operations, logistics, information technology, sales & marketing, human resources and finance. Peter has also been to many industry sales events and conferences having attended Australian Tourism Exchange events over 10 years as well as several World Youth and Student Travel Conferences (WYSTC) and other sales trips as a representative of both CaPTA and Respax. Peter s role at Respax has provided him with many opportunities to interact and establish business relationships and rapport with a significant number of tourism operators based in both Australian and the Asia Pacific region. This experience along with CaPTA s diverse operations have provided Peter with insights into the broad range of tourism sectors important to TTNQ including the backpacker market, youth adventure, education, domestic tourism and international markets (both western and eastern). Most recently, Peter has been elevated to Managing Director of CaPTA Group of Companies, fulfilling these duties concurrently with his responsibilities as the Managing Director of Respax.
Russell Boswell Savannah Way Limited Russell Boswell is Manager of Savannah Way Limited, the not-for-profit organisation promoting the drive route from Broome to Cairns. He is a regional tourism development and marketing specialist and has strong awareness of regional tourism issues. He is an active supporter of Indigenous tourism and is a champion for Tropical North Queensland s Drive Market activity. He has worked with Tourism & Events Queensland on Experience Development Programs and is a Member of the Queensland Drive Tourism Alliance, Northern QPWS Forum and the Alliance for Sustainable Tourism. Russell also manages Savannah Guides, Australia s leading Tour Guide Organisation, delivering professional development for Tour Guides across northern Australia, including training, field schools and accreditation. In partnership with the Wet Tropics Management Authority Savannah Guides delivers the Wet Tropics Tour Guide Program specifically for the World Heritage Area guides and Visitor Information Centre staff. As Director of Marketing with leading safari operator Wilderness Challenge he created remote soft adventure products. At Tropical North Queensland TAFE his Ecotourism Program Manager and Faculty Manager roles focused on building workforce capacity. In various consultancies in Australia, The Pacific and China he has planned and delivered experience development and regional ecotourism initiatives. This has recently included important work with Great Barrier Reef operators in Queensland. Russell sees the human factor at the centre of tourism in regional areas, and has a range of recommendations to take remote communities forward in these challenging times.