The newly formed Douglas Shire Accommodation Co-Operative is seeking to turn the tide on online travel agents who are draining $20m from the Douglas Shire every year through holiday booking commissions, and today they have received support from state election candidates.

To keep this money in the Douglas Shire, close to 100 Co-Operative members are seeking $800,000 in financial support from State and Federal Governments to establish a new Douglas Direct website, and in doing so creating a “whole of Shire” marketing platform.

Today the Katter’s Australian Party candidate for Cook Tanika Parker announced her support for the Co-Operative with the KAP pledging $300,000 to help get the Douglas Direct website off the ground if elected.

Meanwhile, the LNP Candidate for Cook Nipper Brown has also today announced an LNP Government would contribute $30,000 in seed funding to develop the platform with the potential for more.

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Ms Parker said it is important to find new ways to keep revenue in our own communities.

“Nobody wants to see money flowing out of our region when there is a solution provided by such a strong and inclusive group of businesses,” Ms Parker said.

“I have been assured by Co-Op members that the new Douglas Direct is all about helping our regional economy and building our employment base. The proposal includes an annual return to the Douglas Shire Council to support the whole community. It’s an innovative initiative the KAP is very happy to support.”

While Mr Brown said this project would bring the tourism community together.

“Port Douglas offers some of the best accommodation and restaurants in Australia. The local revenue we can generate by keeping booking fees in Port Douglas rather than lining the pockets of external corporate platforms will be a real game-changer for local businesses,” Mr Brown said.

Douglas Shire Accommodation Chairperson, Bruno Bennett, said with the tourism industry devastated by COVID-19, local accommodation businesses have been desperately searching for a solution.

“It is the contention of the Co-Op members that the ever-growing level of OTA commissions is bad business and represents ‘old – school’ tourism thinking.

“The members’ belief is that the Douglas Shire no longer needs to rely on OTAs to bring tourism to our region. The Co-Op’s aim, simply, is to modernise – to create Douglas Direct as a new customer-focused tourism platform with the objective of keeping the money in the Douglas Shire.

“Following its formation, the Douglas Direct website will be fully self-funded and completely measurable and transparent and represent the whole of the Shire.”

Co-Op member, Al Spence from Garrick House Holiday Apartments, said right now this funding is more important than ever.

“I think we all know that it is about as dire as it can be at the moment. We are coming into the low season so there is a pretty good chance we won’t see any major return on our business until at least April. There is a rough few months to go and there is a good chance we haven’t seen the worst of it yet,” he said.

“This is all about the community and keeping the money in Douglas. I think once we do come out of this and we do start seeing a return to business, every dollar that is spent in the Shire needs to stay in the Shire.

“The ALP has not come forward on this as yet, but we are hopeful they will support us in this difficult time,” Mr Spence said.