WHAT'S NEW
IN 2017 Investor confidence is soaring in the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef region on the back of record visitor numbers and infrastructure upgrades in 2016, resulting in multi-million dollar investments to be injected into the destination from now until 2020. Including the development of new luxury hotels, an arts precinct, a waterfront brewery and an expanded marina, this surge of investment is expected to bring a boost to the business events industry over the coming years.
GA GROUP INVESTMENTS Especially exciting for the region is the launch of the Crystalbrook Collection by the Ghassan Aboud Group. Central to the company s portfolio will be the development of three hotels into new 5-star properties in the Cairns CBD, totalling over $550 million worth of investment over three years. Redevelopment has commenced on the Tradewinds hotel, which is due to open mid-2018 and will include an additional 65 rooms to the property s current stock, all outfitted with a décor inspired by the surrounding tropical environment. Construction on the Abbott Street and Bellview Hotels, adding over 500 rooms to the city s inventory, is expected to be rolled out from 2019 to 2020. Other products under the Crystalbrook Collection banner include luxury outback accommodation Crystalbrook Lodge and exclusive reef charter MV Bahama. www.crystalbrookcollection.com.au PULLMAN REEF HOTEL CASINO The Pullman Reef Hotel Casino has just completed a $6.5 million refurbishment aimed at enhancing the delegate experience within the complex. The redevelopment includes a new-look hotel lobby, an additional 30 seats in Tamarind Restaurant, bringing the venue s total capacity to 100, a 4-metre LED interactive pillar showcasing reef and rainforest displays, new Merchant café and new Bar36 Live Lounge. Bar36 will offer a convenient after party venue for delegates attending a gala dinner at the hotel or following an offsite event in the city, while the LED display will offer the potential to tailor the scene and imagery to suit a company's brand for in-house conference groups adding a true wow factor to any event. www.reefcasino.com.au
NOVA CITY CAIRNS The $550 million Nova City is a luxurious residential and commercial development spanning more than 24,000sq. m adjacent to the Cairns Convention Centre, which will add 1158 apartments to the city s accommodation inventory. Designed to inject a fresh cosmopolitan lifestyle experience into the heart of Cairns, Nova City includes vibrant public spaces, a dynamic business hub and new international retail offerings. The first stage of construction is already underway and includes apartments, penthouses and townhouses in the Nova Light tower, the first of seven towers in the visionary development. www.novacity.com.au CAIRNS AQUARIUM The $50 million Cairns Aquarium, slated for opening in May 2017, will be the largest aquarium of its kind in Australia. The iconic three-level CBD landmark attraction will showcase the animals, plants and habitats of the only two adjoining World Heritage protected areas the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. With a restaurant seating up to 230 guests and a range of function spaces, the Aquarium will be available for offsite events and will present meeting planners with interesting touring options to add to any conference or incentive itinerary. www.cairnsaquarium.com.au
CAIRNS ARTS PRECINCT & CBD UPGRADE Cairns is set for a major infrastructure makeover in 2017, with the development of an arts and culture precinct as well as city centre facelift. The Precinct is a $66.5 million project delivering a purpose-built performing arts centre the Cairns Performing Arts Centre, slated for opening mid-2018 and a lush, tropical parkland with performance stage and amphitheatre Munro Martin Parklands, which opened in August 2016. The Cairns CBD is also getting an upgrade with the $17.4 million City Centre Alive transforming the city heart into a landscaped pedestrian friendly area with public art and feature lighting. www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/majorprojects/the-precinct HEMINGWAY'S BREWERY CAIRNS Cairns world-class waterfront will welcome a new food and beverage establishment in early 2018 with the opening of Hemingway s Brewery in the iconic, heritage-listed Shed 2 at Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal. This will be the second location for the local brewery, with another outlet at the Port Douglas Reef Marina which has proven a success since its opening in 2016. With construction scheduled to begin in March, the new brewery will serve 24 craft beers and cider on tap and span more than 1400m2, and will be available for offsite events accommodating over 1000 guests. www.hemingwaysbrewery.com
PORT DOUGLAS REEF MARINA DEVELOPMENT The $40 million upgrade to the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort and the opening of Hemingway s Brewery in 2016 have been the catalysts for renewed investor confidence in Port Douglas. As a result, new development projects are on the table, such as the multimillion dollar expansion of the Reef Marina, including additional berths, luxury accommodation, dining venues and a public entertainment precinct, signalling the beginning of a new era for the Port Douglas waterfront. www.thereefmarina.com.au CITIZENS OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF One of the planet s most iconic natural places, the Great Barrier Reef, captures the imagination of people across the world. Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef will be launched in 2017 to harness this interest and mobilise millions of individuals and corporations to help, protect, experience and learn about this extraordinary World Heritage area. A large public sculpture depicting the formation of the Reef through the eyes of the region s Indigenous elders will be revealed as part of the activities surrounding the launch of the Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. www.citizensgbr.org