Rate payers will again provide $430,000 in funding to local tourism organisation Tourism Port Douglas and Daintree after the release of Council's 2012-13 budget.

The organisation has 160 members and is responsible for marketing the Douglas destination.

Executive Officer for TPDD, Doug Ryan, said a strategic marketing plan and business plan has been developed, and is currently with Council before being released to members shortly.

"With a small team of talented creative people and the resources of an extremely experienced membership we have put together a program that will assist the greater region in achieving the 2020 targets for visitor expenditure," he said.

"We have based our market knowledge not only on the experience of our operators and the industry as a whole, but we have been guided by the results of the visitor surveys conducted on our behalf by James Cook University.”

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In relation to the announcement of China Eastern's direct flights to Cairns beginning in October, Mr Ryan said the organisation had already taken a number of steps to be "China ready" including:

• Providing training opportunities for the industry in the Douglas region on the Chinese market;
• Working with TAFE to run a Chinese (Mandarin) language short course;
• Presence in 'Tiger Tails' the inflight magazine for Tiger Air;
• Presence in the TTNQ, Chinese, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Ultimate Guide 2012-2013 which includes 12 pages of Port Douglas and the Daintree; and
• TPDD website Chinese pages live by October.

Meanwhile, recording giant EMI has forcibly blocked a TPDD video containing the Coldplay hit song 'Clocks' citing a breach of copyright. The promotional video appeared on TPDD's website and on YouTube.

It is not yet known if further action will be taken by EMI against the largely government funded body.

According to music news and information resource Pro-Music, action against infringers is commonplace.

"Owners of copyright and related rights regularly take action to remove illegal material from the internet and to seek civil or criminal sanctions against copyright infringers.

"Hundreds of millions of music files are removed from the internet each year through co-operation between internet service providers and the music industry.

"Civil and criminal lawsuits have been taken against internet infringers in many countries. The music industry has announced its intention to step up action against copyright theft of this type."

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