Cairns is a city of some 160,000 residents

with a population growth rate averaging around 2.5%

It is the fastest growing provincial city north of the Brisbane\Gold Coast\Sunshine Coast corner of Queensland.

The population of Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) as a whole is around 231,000 people.

Since the opening of Cairns International Airport in 1984, the city can justifiably be regarded as Australia's gateway to its neighbours in South East Asia, and through them to the rest of the world.

There are currently around 50 international flights per week into Cairns involving Qantas, Jetstar, United Airlines Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Continental Micronesia, Airlines PNG and Cathay Pacific.

With 2.2 million visitors per year, tourism is the premier industry in TNQ contributing around $2.4billion to the economy every year. The region contains all of the attractions that lure adventurers and tourists to Tropical North Queensland - the Great Barrier Reef, the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest, the Cape York Wilderness, internationally renown Port Douglas, palm-fringed beaches, the outback, waterfalls, white water rapids, coastal rivers, pioneering history, aboriginal cave art and culture, crocodile habitats, game fishing, estuary fishing, birdwatching etc.

Cairns caters for an increasing conference and special events sector with its award winning Cairns Convention Centre accommodating a range of functions and events including conferences, exhibitions, Cairns Taipans NBL matches, concerts and performances.

Cairns Seaport is Australia’s busiest cruise port with over 200 international and domestic cruise ship visits a year.

Whilst tourism has become the major industry for the region, there is a solid economic base built on a diverse range of primary industries. The gross value of farm gate production by primary industries in FNQ was estimated at $1.1 billion in 2006-07, representing activities including agriculture, horticulture, dairy, fishing, aquaculture, mining and forestry. Sugar and bananas dominate coastal areas while dairy is the focus of the highlands.

Cairns serves as a regional hub for many organizations and authorities. Freeport Indonesia has successfully used Cairns as a supply base for its gold-copper mine in Irian Jaya for 21 years. Cairns also hosts consulates for Papua New Guinea, Japan, Austria, Italy and Sweden.

Cairns is a cosmopolitan city which in 20-30 years has been transformed from a remote provincial town into a progressive regional centre with national and international recognition.