Port Douglas

Port Douglas is located an hour north of warm, sunny Cairns on Queensland’s coastline. With its tropical weather, world renowned reefs, and a range of budget and luxury resorts, hotels and holiday parks, Port Douglas is a well-known and much-loved holiday destination for both domestic and international travellers.

Being only an hour from Cairns, visitors from all over Australia and across the world can easily access Port Douglas via Cairns International Airport. In the year ending March 2017, Tropical North Queensland as a whole welcomed 1,800,000 domestic visitors and 890,000 international visitors, and while domestic numbers dropped 6.9 percent from the previous year, international numbers saw a substantial increase of 7.2 percent.

With Port Douglas reporting an 11.8 percent increase in domestic visitors in 2016, and a 28 percent rise in domestic visitor nights despite the state-wide drop, Port Douglas continues to prove its popularity as one of Australia’s favourite tropical holiday destinations.

Visitors travel to Port Douglas for its natural World Heritage listed sites, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, as well as stunning swimming beaches, a relaxed coastal ‘vibe’, and a number of tours and activities to suit various demographics. Guests particularly enjoy boat and wildlife tours, diving and snorkelling, local wine and food tastings, the heritage railway, and rainforest hikes and tours. With a range of equipment for hire, guests can also choose to be adventurous at their own pace.

Port Douglas is a popular destination all year, with each season providing various benefits. While the tropical summer weather draws thousands of visitors each year, some guests prefer the windy winter months for sailing and kitesurfing, and others plan their travel around jellyfish or ‘stinger’ season, which varies from year to year.

Particularly known as a luxury getaway location, Port Douglas is home to 140 accommodation options and food services, many of which are resorts. A huge 24.7 percent of the town’s 11,600 residents are employed by the hospitality industry, making it the most popular industry for locals, followed by retail at 10.7 percent.