General News
28 October, 2026
Talking up Tablelands tourism potential
DISCUSSION about how the Tablelands can capitalise on its tourism potential were held between Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell, Mayor Kevin Cardew and chief executive officer Nikola Stepanov this month.
Mayor Cardew said building a collaborative relationship with the Minister and the Queensland Government was critical in ensuring the region was well positioned to capitalise on future tourism opportunities.
“Our region has huge potential to extend its already well-recognised status as a unique tourism destination, and I’m committed to working collaboratively with the Queensland Government and industry partners to identify opportunities that will attract more visitors, support local businesses and deliver lasting benefits for our community,” he said.
“We need to look towards essential visitor needs for the future, like increased accommodation options and enhancing accessibility to the amazing tourism locations the Tablelands have to offer.”
The below data shows the national online search interest for the Atherton Tablelands as a holiday destination over the past year.
As a whole, interest in the Tablelands was up 6% compared to last year and experienced its highest search rate between 21 and 28 June, with a score of 91 out of 100.
The data also shows the highest score the search term received in the past year was a perfect 100, which was in the weeks leading up to Christmas (14-21 December) in 2025.
Other data (below) shows Aussies searched for “Tablelands Cairns” the most, with a score of 100. They also looked for things to do on the Tablelands, sought out local accommodation, and searched for attractions such as waterfalls – which was the only term that saw an increase in interest (+10%).
The meeting marked a positive step forward with a shared focus on supporting tourism growth, strengthening the local visitor economy and exploring opportunities for the region into the future.
Potential opportunities discussed included extending the region’s Rail Trail to directly link to other popular nature walking and mountain bike trails and other visitor locations like Platypus Park, a unique reserve in Atherton providing a rare opportunity for creek-side platypus sightings.
Minister Powell said the Atherton Tablelands was a fantastic tourism destination, with plenty to offer visitors and significant potential to grow the region’s visitor economy.
“The Crisafulli Government is backing regional tourism through our tourism plan, Destination 2045, to attract more visitors and support local businesses and communities,” he said.
This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends.
