Great Barrier Reef Tourism

Due to its rich diversity and clear waters, the Great Barrier Reef is a very famous tourist attraction and holiday destination, especially for scuba divers. In fact, the 2003 movie, Finding Nemo used it as its setting.

Many Queensland cities like Cairns, features boat trips and tours to the reef daily. Tourists can also visit underwater observatories or ride either a helicopter or a glass-bottomed boat while touring the place.  In addition, a number of continental islands were transformed into resorts as diving and snorkeling are still the most popular tourist activity. Fishing is also a popular commercial and recreational activity.

As the hottest tourist spot in the region, approximately two million tourists visit the reef each year. That is a reason why tourism is a very lucrative industry for North Queensland. It was estimated that tourism in the Great Barrier Reef gains a yearly profit of over AU$4 billion - though a chunk of the profit are used to make the reef ecologically sustainable. As such, a portion of the daily fee is allocated for the preservation and research of the Great Barrier Reef.