Tourism Tropical North Queensland launches new Ride Cairns app, makes key appointments

Mountain bike riders exploring the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region will be able to locate buddies on any of the 700 kilometre network of Ride Cairns trails with a newly launched smart phone app.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Alex de Waal said the app would give mountain bike riders a new way to connect by allowing riders to track where they were on a trail, view a live trail map showing their friends’ locations and add photos and achievements.

de Waal stated “the Ride Cairns app will build a stronger community for mountain bike riders, trail managers and clubs allowing them to take ownership of the trails and help raise the profile of mountain biking in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

“More than 700 kilometres of trails have been logged for Smithfield Regional Park, Atherton Forest Mountain Bike Park, Davies Creek Mountain Bike Park and the dual-use national park trails throughout the Atherton Tablelands, Cassowary Coast and Port Douglas region as part of the Ride Cairns destination marketing campaign.

World champion mountain biker Tracey Hannah gave the Ride Cairns app the thumbs up saying it would be great to connect with her riding buddies while she was out on the trails.

Hannah sated “there really is something for everyone among the network of Ride Cairns trails which include challenging tracks suitable for my training for world events right down to easy trails where families can enjoy a leisurely ride.”

de Waal said the data gathered by the app would allow Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and mountain biking clubs to look at trail usage to better determine the future development of their trails and schedule maintenance.

He added “in the future we envisage adding safety features such as SOS notifications for riders in need of assistance and information on how to access the quickest evacuation point for emergency services.

The launch of the app coincides with a newly released video of dual Olympian Courtney Atkinson tackling the recent RRR (Rural, Rainforest and Reef) Mountain Bike Challenge while exploring Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.

TTNQ has also appointed Jane Wilson as its new Director of Leisure Sales and Marketing.

A destination marketing specialist with a diverse career in retail, wholesale and state government tourism marketing, Wilson is currently the Marketing and Business Development General Manager for Southern Travel Holdings.

Wilson will join TTNQ as of 3rd August.

TTNQ has also appointed Savannah Way Manager Russell Boswell as General Director of its  Board.

de Waal welcomed Boswell to the role saying he brought a wealth of experience from the regional areas of Tropical North Queensland including the Gulf Savannah, Cape York and the Atherton Tablelands.

de Waal stated “Russell has a particular interest in Indigenous tourism and is well respected for his various roles in drive and sustainable tourism.”

Boswell has almost 30 years’ experience in the tourism industry with more than 20 of those years in Tropical North Queensland.

He has been the Manager of Savannah Way Ltd and Savannah Guides since 2008 and was previously with four wheel drive safari operator Wilderness Challenge and Tropical North Queensland TAFE.

The recipient of a Wet Tropics Cassowary Award for nature based tourism in 2003, Boswell developed the Wet Tropics Tour Guide Program through his role with Savannah Guides.

He is a part of the Queensland Drive Tourism Alliance and the Alliance for Sustainable Tourism in Cairns as well as serving on various State Government and national parks committees for tourism development.

Boswell fills the vacancy left by former Cook Shire Council Economic and Community Services Director Katrina Houghton.

Images: Tracey Hannah using the Ride Cairns app (top), Jane Wllson (middle) and Russell Boswell (below).