NORTH QLD TOURISM OPERATORS EMBRACE THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

The nation’s peak tourism body, the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Australia, hopes the roll-out of electric scooters in Cairns will encourage other regions across Australia to adopt this popular new mode of transport.

TTF CEO Margy Osmond welcomed the announcement 150 purple e-scooters will be available to hire from November 30 within Cairns Central, Cairns North,
Edge Hill and Parramatta Park, with Beam partnering with more than 15 local tourism operators.

“This exciting new addition to Cairns will improve the experience of visitors from across Australia and overseas. Using these e-scooters, visitors will be able
to see more local attractions and fully appreciate everything Cairns has to offer,” Ms Osmond said.

“Local tourism operators are still getting back on their feet since the pandemic. I’m hopeful this will help aid their recovery.”

“We’ve seen in other regions where visitors have access to e-scooters, they typically spend more money on shopping and dining out than they would otherwise. I hope other parts of Australia, where e-scooters could be safely introduced, consider these benefits.”

This week, Lake Macquarie on the NSW North Coast announced it will become the first New South Wales council to trial electric scooters, with 100 e-scooters
available for shared rides via the Beam app from December 5.

Ms Osmond noted more travellers are keen to use this new mode of transport.

“Since the pandemic, travellers have been increasingly concerned with ensuring their trips are sustainable. Electric scooters help achieve this, offering an affordable, efficient way to explore their new destination without any carbon or noise pollution,” Ms Osmond said.