Thousands of Aussies set to flock to Cairns Amateurs

Tropical North Queensland will host thousands of Australian horse racing enthusiasts and spectators at the 2013 Carlton MID Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival which kicks off in Cairns tomorrow.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey said the Cairns Amateurs was one of the Queensland’s major events, with more than 14,000 people attending the 2012 event.

“The Cairns Amateurs offers four days of action-packed horse racing, fashion, food and entertainment staged in the beautiful surroundings of Tropical North Queensland,” Ms Stuckey said.

“The carnival also gives the region the opportunity to showcase its tourism assets to visitors from across Australia.”

Ms Stuckey said Far North Queensland had developed a reputation for delivering high-quality sporting events which provided economic benefits to the Queensland economy.

“Events like the Cairns Amateurs support the Newman Government’s goal to double annual overnight visitor expenditure from $15 billion to $30 billion by 2020.”

Assistant Minister for Tourism and Member for Cairns Gavin King said the carnival, now in its 55^th year, was a signature event for the region helping to attract visitors and provide an economic boost for local businesses.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the nation to the 2013 Cairns Amateurs as well as Australian racing royalty Kate Waterhouse, this year’s National Ambassador for the event,” Mr King said.

“I encourage visitors to the region to stay on after the event with their friends and family, enjoy the warmer tropical weather and experience the diverse tourism attractions on offer in the Tropical North – our piece of paradise.”

The Cairns Amateurs forms part of a growing calendar of events secured for Tropical North Queensland by Tourism and Events Queensland, with Cairns having hosted the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival in June and Great Barrier Reef Masters Games in August.

The region will also host the UCI Mountain Bike World Cups in 2014 and 2016 and the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships.

For more information about the 2013 Carlton MID Cairns Amateurs including the program of events visit www.cairnsamateurs.org.au.

Discover more great events in Queensland at www.queensland.com. 

[ENDS] 4 September 2013

Media contact: Minister Stuckey’s office – 0439 291 268