Tourism Port Douglas Daintree is a not-for-profit organisation with funding from the Douglas Shire Council and a membership base of tourism industry supporters in the Douglas Region. TPDD is an award-winning local tourism organisation and has worked to support the sustainable growth of tourism in the region since 2006.
We believe that collaboration with the industry is essential for the region’s success and to support this, TPDD has developed four advisory groups that are specialists in different areas to provide industry insight for strategy development. Additionally, TPDD is governed by a Board of Directors, who are voted in by the members at the Annual General Meeting. TPDD has strong ties with the wider tourism network and work in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Tourism & Events Queensland and Tourism Australia in Australia and globally.
By joining TPDD you are not only placing your support in the longevity of the tourism sector in the Douglas region, but also gaining access to marketing buy-in, a listing on the destination’s strong performing website Visit Port Douglas Daintree, plus access to relevant niche marketing websites.
By becoming a member of TPDD you can significantly increase your involvement with the regions tourism industry and your market profile. You also become part of a group that reaches beyond the Douglas shire as we work on behalf of the region and its members throughout the state, nationally and internationally.
We are committed to providing as many opportunities to our members as possible. Members have access to industry resources, insights into overseas and domestic markets, marketing initiatives and professional development opportunities and 100% of our membership fees go towards marketing the destination.
Download our membership prospectus here.
MEDIA RELEASE - EMMA TUNNOCK APPOINTED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER
1 Jul 24
Douglas Daintree is pleased to announce the appointment of Emma Tunnock as its new Executive Officer.
With an extensive background in marketing, tourism and economic development, Tunnock brings a wealth of experience and proven leadership skills to her new role.
MEDIA RELEASE - TPDD CEO TARA BENNETT ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
5 Oct 23
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) is on the hunt for its next leader to champion the local tourism organisation’s mission of promoting Port Douglas and Daintree on a national and global stage.
After nine years at the helm as chief executive officer and more than 15 years of dedicated service to the organisation, Tara Bennett will pass on the baton as she explores new professional horizons in tourism.
MEDIA RELEASE - TOURISM PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE CASTS SUSTAINABILITY NET
20 Apr 23
Building on its credibility as one of Australia’s most recognised global eco-certified destinations, Port Douglas and Daintree is widening its net and tackling sustainable fishing both on the land and out at sea. Tara Bennett, chief executive officer for Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, said industry was committed to striking the balance between commercial fisheries, the aquaculture sector, agritourism and charter fishing.
MEDIA RELEASE - EXCLUSIVE DOUGLAS CARD HOLIDAY DEALS for FNQ LOCALS
12 Oct 22
The timeless Daintree rainforest and awe-inspiring Mossman Gorge are more accessible than ever for Far North Queensland locals this summer with a range of free and discounted deals linked to the annual Douglas Card promotion. Savvy singles, couples and families are invited to sign up for a Douglas Card and enjoy unlimited free Daintree River ferry crossings and free entry to Mossman Gorge right until February 28.
MEDIA RELEASE - SUCCESS FOLLOWS SUCCESS FOR PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE copy
12 Oct 22
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree is celebrating after looking back on a successful year following the COVID-19 pandemic slump. Tara Bennett, TPDD chief executive officer, told attendees at the annual general meeting held on October 12 at Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa, that the year had kicked off to a positive start with the signing of a three-year funding agreement with Douglas Shire Council worth $1.4 million.
MEDIA RELEASE - BAREFOOT APPROACH TO ENTICING BUSINESS EVENTS TO PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE
3 Aug 22
The focus is all business events over the next week with Tourism Port Douglas Daintree taking a splash of laidback tropical warmth to winter-bound travel industry representatives in southern capitals in a four-day marketing blitz featuring new Business Events collateral.
MEDIA RELEASE - ADOPT-A-WORKER CAMPAIGN LAUNCH TO TACKLE STAFF AND ACCOMMODATION SHORTAGES
1 Jun 22
A NEW match-making campaign will connect Douglas locals with a spare room in their house and potential holiday workers for the upcoming tourist season.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) is today launching Adopt-A-Worker, an innovative campaign aimed at addressing the issue of rental shortages for workers in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Based on a campaign in Lorne, Victoria, Adopt-A-Worker is asking the Douglas Shire community to open their homes for the busy season, housing anyone from baristas, kitchen hands and chefs, hotel workers, cleaning staff, and tour guides struggling to find accommodation while working in the region.
TRAINING TO TURN NEW STAFF INTO TOURISM EXPERTS
1 Mar 22
CUSTOMER service staff in the Port Douglas and Daintree region will become living and breathing tourist information kiosks under a new online training program unveiled today.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) has launched the Be Douglas training program to empower tourism and hospitality staff to discuss the destination with authority in collaboration with Douglas Shire Council and Douglas Chamber of Commerce.
The program aims to highlight how to anticipate, meet, and exceed the needs of guest expectations, leaving them feeling positive that Douglas Shire is an extraordinary place to visit and return to.
The Be Douglas training platform can be viewed here: https://www.visitportdouglasdaintree.com/be-douglas/home
NEW LOOK FOR TOURISM PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE
7 Dec 21
A NEW brand book and corporate website will help the Douglas tourism industry tell the Port Douglas and Daintree story to travellers.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) has launched the new assets after working with local industry and consumer research to ensure the destination emerges from COVID with a competitive edge in crowded travel markets.
GLOBAL TOP 100 SUSTAINABILITY STORY - LOWS ISLES THE SEASIDE PARADISE
6 Oct 21
A UNIQUE tropical isle located on the Great Barrier Reef near Port Douglas has made a global list of the best destination sustainability stories. Low Isles, located 13km northeast of the resort town, was selected in the 2021 Top 100 Green Destinations Sustainability Stories today.
Every year, the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories competition collects sustainable tourism stories and good practices from destinations all over the world to be shared as inspiring examples to others, from tourism professionals to travellers.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM EXPANSION TO DRAW VISITORS
13 Aug 21
A BOUNTY of natural assets, headlined by the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, will help draw travel-hungry visitors out of lockdown and into the Port Douglas Daintree region. The local tourism industry gathered for the launch of the Port Douglas Daintree Destination Tourism Plan 2025 at the Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course last night.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) has spent the past year taking a deep dive into visitors’ perceptions and behaviour, community needs and an analysis of experience opportunities that align to the region’s natural assets.
Council backs tourism plan with million-dollar injection
1 Jul 21
HIGH value travellers and event revellers are firmly in the Port Douglas and Daintree region’s sights.
Douglas Shire Council on Tuesday endorsed Tourism Port Douglas Daintree’s (TPDD) strategies to lead the region’s tourism sector into the future, committing $1.35 million into the destination marketing organisation over the next three years.
25 Jun 21
If you’re looking for new restaurants that both define and capture Port Douglas’s culinary spirit, stop right here.
The chaos of last year has had an undeniable impact on the Far Northern dining scene, but an explosion of bold new dining experiences is putting a new delicious energy into the Port Douglas region for local and visiting food lovers. An Italian pasta and salumi bar, a Mediterranean eatery, a restored beach diner with soul, and a destination seafood restaurant are just some of the new culinary options spearheading a dining surge in the resort town in 2021.
If you’re looking for new restaurants that both define and capture Port Douglas’s culinary spirit, stop right here.
The chaos of last year has had an undeniable impact on the Far Northern dining scene, but an explosion of bold new dining experiences is putting a new delicious energy into the Port Douglas region for local and visiting food lovers. An Italian pasta and salumi bar, a Mediterranean eatery, a restored beach diner with soul, and a destination seafood restaurant are just some of the new culinary options spearheading a dining surge in the resort town in 2021.
ECO-CROCODILE CRUISE GLIDES INTO HALL OF FAME
3 Dec 20
DAINTREE River Cruise Centre owner Kianna Lafferty believes it’s the little, sustainable wins that help her business unleash its ecotourism potential.
The local eco-cruising business, which features four river boats powered by low emission, fuel efficient four-stroke outboards, was inducted into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame, alongside Sailaway Port Douglas and 25 other businesses.
Tourism Industry Builds Summer Confidence with Disaster Recovery Guide
12 Nov 20
TOURISM operators in the Port Douglas and Daintree region are now poised to weather any storm with the launch of a new hands-on guide designed to build resilience in the sector.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) today launched the ‘Douglas Tourism Operators Response and Recovery Project’, which features a guide and strategy designed to empower local businesses through disaster events.
PASSPORT FOR FNQ TO GET PEOPLE TO "DO IT IN DOUGLAS"
3 Nov 20
FAR North Queenslanders can ‘Do It In Douglas’ for free over the next four months with the launch of the annual Douglas Card promotion.
Douglas Shire Council and Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) are teaming up to kickstart the regional push to holiday in the Daintree Rainforest this summer. Unlimited free Daintree Ferry trips and a free entry to the Mossman Gorge headline the annual promotion, which also taps into the lure of the picturesque Great Barrier Reef Drive.
The usual return ferry fee of $31 has been scrapped for local Douglas cardholders until February 29 next year. Local is classed as residents from Cardwell to Cooktown, including the Atherton Tablelands.
DOUGLAS SETS SIGHTS ON INCLUSIVE TOURISM MARKET
17 Sep 20
A MOVE to tap into a growing multi-billion-dollar domestic visitor market is underway in the Douglas Shire.
Douglas Shire Council and Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) are partnering to position the region at the forefront of accessible and inclusive tourism.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE TOPS ONLINE DESTINATION CHATS
6 May 20
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree has received a welcome report card from strategic consultants Destination Think! showing the region has topped its audit of tourism destinations globally for the second consecutive year.
MOSSMAN GORGE RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GREEN INTERNATIONAL AWARD
5 Mar 20
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree is celebrating the ecotourism success of the destination’s Mossman Gorge Centre after it was announced as a winner in the Sustainable Top 100 Awards.
TOURISM COMPANIES LIGHT THE WAY TO A HEALTHIER REEF
18 Feb 20
Inspiring steps towards sustainable practices by ecotourism champions will be celebrated in this year’s Show Me Your Paradise marketing campaign by Tourism Port Douglas Daintree.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE LEADS THE WAY IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
4 Dec 19
The Port Douglas Daintree region has become the world’s first destination to be awarded Ecotourism Australia’s ECO Destination Certification.
A WHALE OF A TIME ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
14 Aug 19
It’s not too late to catch some last-minute whale action on the Great Barrier Reef with a just few weeks left of their annual migration to the warmer norther waters of the Coral Sea.
GREAT BARRIER REEF DRIVE READY TO BE TRAVERSED
8 Aug 19
It has never been easier to navigate Tropical North Queensland’s most scenic and unforgettable Great Barrier Reef Drive.
CUT BILLS, GO GREEN & ALL FOR FREE!
6 Aug 19
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree together with CCIQ ecoBiz is calling for like-minded businesses to take part in a new program to be rolled out across the Douglas Shire to help local tourism operators cut their energy, water and waste bills.
TAKE AN UNDERWATER UBER FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE
4 Jun 19
A once in a lifetime chance to zoom around the mesmerising Great Barrier Reef in a personal submarine will soon be in Port Douglas!
NEW WEBSITE SHOWCASES TOURISM PRODUCT
4 Apr 19
Planning a dream vacation to the tropical north is now even easier with Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) launching a new look website this month.
SHOW ME YOUR PARADISE: VINTAGE EDITION
22 Mar 19
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) is winding back the clock and asking you to share your vintage holiday pics of the Port Douglas and Daintree region for your chance to win one of three holidays on offer.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE FRONT AND CENTRE IN TARGETED MARKETING ACTIVITY
20 Mar 19
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) will continue ramping up its marketing activity as it heads into the second quarter of 2019, in an effort to keep the destination front and centre with potential holiday makers in the domestic and international market.
DOUGLAS CARD NOW OFFERS FREE MOSSMAN GORGE SHUTTLE
17 Dec 18
Port Douglas and Daintree is putting out a generous welcome to Tropical North Queenslanders again this summer with the free Douglas Card, which includes free return travel on the Daintree ferry and just introduced Mossman Gorge shuttle bus and a range of other deals for singles, couples and families.
MILLIONS OF ONLINE CHATS PROVE VISITORS LOVE PORT DOUGLAS AND DAINTREE
6 Dec 18
Port Douglas and the Daintree have topped a list of destinations from around the world for satisfied and happy visitors, according to leading strategic consultants Destination Think!
The index report of over 100 destinations, including 13 Queenslandtourism regions, showed the Port Douglas Daintree region leading a field that included known international destinations such as Whistler in Canada, Chicago and Seattle in the US, and Sydney, Australia.
Domestic Travel Agents Given Taste Of Port Douglas Daintree
26 Nov 18
From the reef to the rainforest, more than 30 of Australia’s top selling travel companies were given a taste of Port Douglas Daintree’s very best at the weekend.
Wrapping up an industry first region led ‘Domestic Mega Famil’, Tourism Port Douglas Daintree (TPDD) executive officer Tara Bennet, described the three-day event from November 23-25 as an “overwhelming success”.
21 Nov 18
For the next four months the ferry across the Daintree River will be free to regional residents.
The free ferry trip is the best incentive for local residents to get out and visit one of the world’s most enchanted places – or make that much anticipated
return visit to this unique tropical location.
The usual fee of $28 will be scrapped for local residents until February 28. Local is classed as residents from Cardwell to Cooktown, including the Atherton Tablelands.
ON A MISSION – PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE SHINES
19 Nov 18
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree will wrap up three months of targeted domestic and international trade activity with its inaugural Mega Famil this weekend.
Tara Bennett, executive officer of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, said the region had put on a spectacular show for visiting travel trade over the last month and this weekend would be no different.
PORT DOUGLAS ACCOMMODATION SHOWS DOMESTIC GROWTH
15 Oct 18
Domestic overnight visitation to the Port Douglas Daintree region has grown by almost 7% in the 2017/18 financial year, according to figures from Tourism Research Australia (TRA).
Tara Bennett, chief executive officer of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, said it was a great result that both the domestic and international markets were trending upwards.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE IN WORLD TOP 100 FOR GREEN TOURISM
3 Oct 18
The Douglas Shire has been named in a global top 100 list of the world's most environmentally sound places to visit - the only Australian destination to receive the international accolade.
GREEN LIGHT FOR ENVIRO CREDENTIALS IN PORT DOUGLAS/DAINTREE
20 Aug 18
The Port Douglas Daintree region is on track to become Australia's first eco-certified region with "eco champions" appointed to lead the certification charge.
SPORTS EVENTS GOLD FOR PORT DOUGLAS/DAINTREE
9 Aug 18
Port Douglas is under the starter’s gun as a sporting hotspot over the next few months with thousands of athletes and supporters descending on the tropical playground.
The calendar of major sporting events kicked off on Thursday, August 9 (today) with the Reef to Reef, Australia’s newest mountain bike stage race.
NEW PORT DOUGLAS WEBSITE IS WEDDED BLISS
6 Aug 18
If it’s a marriage made in heaven then odds on it was held in Port Douglas Daintree.
AMBASSADORS CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF PARADISE
10 Jul 18
TOURISM WITH A HEART – WEBSITE HELPS BUSINESS GIVE BACK
3 Jul 18
Business event visitors to Port Douglas and Daintree can now enjoy a new digital destination showcasing not only the desirability of the region but making it easy to give back to this natural wonderland.
25 Jun 18
A bold new plan to recognise the Port Douglas and Daintree Region as Australia’s first eco-certified region in Australia has been welcomed by the industry.
13 Feb 18
Think of the Daintree Ferry as the Love Boat this Valentine’s Day.
Anyone wanting to do something special this February 14 – or anytime in the next two weeks – need to look no further than the iconic river crossing from the south to north bank of the Daintree River.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE TOURISM STAYS STRONG
18 Jan 18
Port Douglas/Daintree tourism continues to see an increase in overseas travellers to the region – and they are staying longer.
PORT DOUGLAS PARTIES WITH A FUN, FLAVOURFUL FESTIVE SEASON
22 Dec 17
Port Douglas is revving up for a mammoth festive season with resorts and restaurants putting a tropical spin on the Christmas spirit and planning for New Year celebrations that will make the place pop.
22 Dec 17
Port Douglas Secrets - Romance
8 Dec 17
TOURISM PORT DOUGLAS AND DAINTREE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE WITH ITINERARY PLANNER
13 Sep 17
Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree (TPDD) has launched its new website, making it easier than ever for visitors far and wide to get inspired, do the sums and plan and book their itineraries on the site.
DOUGLAS SHIRE DIVES INTO REEF OPPORTUNITIES
15 Aug 17
The reef tourism sector in the Port Douglas and Daintree region is showing a loud and clear confidence in this billion-dollar industry with extensive investment in dive adventures and diversification in overall reef experiences.
PORT DOUGLAS’ FOOD SCENE COMPLETES REEF AND RAINFOREST EXPERIENCE
7 Aug 17
Port Douglas’ thriving café scene, fine dining and popular food events such as this month’s Taste festival are hitting the mark with locals and visitors seeking to complement the soul-pleasing reef and rainforest experience with a little gastronomic pleasure.
TPDD LAUNCHES GOES “AU NATURAL” WITH NEW BRAND
3 Aug 17
Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree (TPDD) will today launch a fresh new brand that speaks directly to the reef and rainforest region’s target markets.
PORT DOUGLAS BACK IN FOCUS AS CONFERENCE CENTRE OF CHOICE
11 Jul 17
The weak dollar, Australians and New Zealanders opting for regional travel and the lure of the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree rainforest are all contributing to Port Douglas’ revival as a national and international business events and conference centre.
PORT DOUGLAS DAINTREE IN WORLD TOP 100 FOR GREEN TOURISM
11 Jul 17
The Douglas Shire has been named in a global top 100 list of the world’s most environmentally sound places to visit – the only Australian tourism destination to receive the international accolade.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree acknowledges the custodianship of the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef by the local Kuku Yalanji and Yirraganydji people whose rich cultures, heritage values, enduring connections and shared efforts protect our natural assets for future generations, and we pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging.