Food tourism and branding tropical North Queensland

Agricultural producers in Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) have diversified through food tourism. This paper examines how industry and stakeholders see regional cuisine and local agricultural production as fitting into overall destination development and the region’s brand. A focus on local foods, including development of the Taste Paradise food brand, can strengthen TNQ’s ‘tropical paradise’ tourism brand. By moving beyond a reef and rainforest focus, which is increasingly problematic given climate change predictions, expanding the TNQ brand through food can help the region tap into new segments, increase awareness of TNQ as a multiexperience destination, and sustain agricultural producers.