FNQ is one of Australia's top tourist destinations. The businesses that get direct bookings instead of paying OTA commissions are the ones with websites that actually work.
Airbnb, Booking.com and the other big platforms are great at sending you customers. But they take a hefty slice of every booking for the privilege. Some charge up to 20% commission. That adds up fast.
Your website is the one place people can book directly with you, where you keep every dollar. If your site gets just three extra direct bookings a month at a $200 average, that's $7,200 a year that stayed in your pocket instead of going to a platform.
The tourism businesses winning in FNQ right now are the ones treating their website as a direct booking tool, not an afterthought. That's exactly what I build.
A pretty site that doesn't get bookings is just an expensive brochure. Here's what I put in every tourism and accommodation build.
Searches like "accommodation Cairns", "tour operator Port Douglas" and "day tours Great Barrier Reef" happen every single day from people planning their FNQ trip months out. If you're not showing up, a competitor is getting those bookings.
A tourist sitting in a cafe in Cairns picks up their phone and searches "snorkel tours near me" or "where to stay Palm Cove tonight". If your site works on phones and Google can find it, you can catch that booking right then and there.
Specific searches like "holiday rental Mission Beach", "reef tours Cairns" and "boutique accommodation Port Douglas" have real people with real intent behind them. I build your site around the exact phrases your future guests are typing in.
When someone searches for a tour or a place to stay, the map results at the top of Google are the first thing they see. Getting your business in there, with your reviews and contact details visible, is one of the best things you can do to fill your calendar.
From Cairns to the Daintree, I build tourism and accommodation websites for businesses right across the region. Port Douglas and Palm Cove are two of FNQ's premium tourism corridors, and both are areas where a well-built website can make a real difference to how many direct bookings you get.
Whether you're running tours out of Cairns CBD, managing holiday rentals in Palm Cove, or operating a boutique stay up in Port Douglas, I know the local market and I build sites for it.
Straight answers to the stuff FNQ tourism and accommodation businesses want to know before they pick up the phone.
A direct booking widget is one of the most important things on a tourism or accommodation site. It lets guests book and pay without leaving your site, so you keep the commission instead of handing it to Airbnb or Booking.com.
Yes, and most of them do their research before they even board the plane. If your site is set up so Google can find it, you can show up for searches like "accommodation Cairns" or "tour operator Port Douglas" while travellers are still planning their trip.
OTAs like Airbnb and Booking.com typically charge between 15% and 20% commission. On a $200 booking that's up to $40 gone before you see a cent. Three extra direct bookings a month at that rate adds up to over $1,400 a year, and often much more.
Absolutely. A huge chunk of tourists search while they're already here, walking around Cairns or sitting in a cafe in Port Douglas. If your site doesn't work on a phone, you're losing those bookings on the spot.
Yes, completely. You own the domain and everything on it. There are no contracts and no lock-ins. If you ever want to move on, I hand everything over without any fuss.
Yes. I work with tourism and accommodation businesses all across FNQ, including Port Douglas, Palm Cove, Mission Beach and the Daintree. If you're in Far North Queensland, I can help.
Let's have a chat about your tourism or accommodation business. No pitch, no pressure, just an honest look at what a proper website could do for you.
Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm, you'll get Bernie