Tourism Members Celebrate Successful Year

Bowen Tourism and Business celebrated success and enjoyed a night of networking last week after the Annual General Meeting of the organisation.

More than 50 people gathered at Euro Fusion Café and the North Queensland Cruising Yacht Club in Bowen for the AGM where the same committee was re-elected for another year.

Jenn Honnery is entering her sixth year as chair of the organisation and reported that the past 12 months had been a great year as the team of staff and volunteers had welcomed a record number of visitors, sold a record number of sorbets, and reported record merchandise sales.

She said this meant the organisation was in a strong financial position and had been able to invest more funds onto marketing Bowen as a destination.

She said the Big Mango’s 21st birthday was a major highlight of the year.

Jenn thanked the entire team for their hard work and dedication and thanked the Whitsunday Regional Council and Tourism Whitsundays for their support.

The other committee members are Chloe Bauer (Bird’s Fish Bar), Natalie Lydom (Palm View Apartments), Michelle O’Regan (Stackelroth Farms and Bowen PCYC), Leah Darwen (Adits), Karen Morton (Morton Insurance Services) Peter Greer (Queens Beach Tourist Village), Ash-Leigh Martin (Marto’s Mangoes) and Rick Hamilton (Tourism Whitsundays invited representative).

The Whitsunday Regional Council representative is Cr Michelle Wright.

Manager Leanne Abernethy paid tribute to the entire team, including the 18 volunteers, and said she was proud to lead the organisation.

“I love working for Bowen Tourism and Business, I love the team and I love that we are part of the greater Whitsunday region,” she said.