Tropical Townsville

Townsville – a starting point to discovering the Great Barrier Reef, tropical islands, rainforest and outback – is fast becoming a great place for conventions and events.

With its recently redeveloped waterfront area, The Strand, and a new man-made lagoon for year-round safe swimming, the city also boasts fabulous beaches, a casino, museums, world-class attractions, restaurant precincts and an annual line-up of spectacular events. For touring options, nearby Magnetic Island, just a ferry ride away, offers a host of watersports, hiking and other activities.

>> Conference & function rooms in Townsville

Townsville has meetings venues for groups of 50 to 5,000, as well as many different venues for off-site functions and themed events, all backed by professional support services.

Among its recent conference coups, Townsville has been successful in securing the 2006 International Ecotourism Conference, to be held in November.

Ecotourism Australia chief executive, Stephen Pahl, says the Townsville region was chosen for a number of reasons – including excellent multiple-carrier direct air access; diverse conference facilities with many options for engaging the surrounding areas; and the demonstrated enthusiasm and strong support from the Townsville City Council and Townsville Enterprise Limited.

The conference is expected to attract more than 500 delegates, with a projected delegate expenditure of more than $850,000.