TRIPADVISOR, the world’s largest travel-review site, has placed Port Douglas sixth in its Top 10 of the hottest destinations for travellers to visit in Australia for the first time. 

This forms part of the 2016 TripAdvisor’s travellers choice destinations awards, which are ranked based on feedback and booking interest across 12 months.

The full list is: Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Port Douglas, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide and Noosa.

The news also comes hot on the heels of Port Douglas preparing for a bumper Easter and school holidays season.

Helen De Ross, president of the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, said it is significant that we are the first resort town after the major cities.

“It is also heartening that we are ahead of Noosa, especially as they set the benchmark in terms of leading innovation,” she said.

Tourism Port Douglas Daintree executive officer Tara Bennett said the town’s operators “should be popping the champagne corks to celebrate such high recognition from visitors for their hospitality and the quality of the destination’s tourism product”.

“The recognition for Port Douglas is outstanding because it is one of the smaller destinations in the Top 10,” she said. 

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Alex de Waal told the Cairns Post that the awards provided some insight into “the significant weight of global competition for tourism”.

“Every conceivable destination and product can be reviewed from anywhere by anyone. It is fabulous to see Tropical North Queensland receive such strong recognition,” he said.