Rick Hamilton to replace Tash Wheeler as Tourism Whitsundays’ Chief Executive Officer

Tourism Whitsundays’ new CEO brings leadership style based around open communication, collaboration, decisive decision-making, and recognition and development.

Tourism Whitsundays' new CEO Rick Hamilton has previously held senior roles at Flight Centre, Tourism Fiji, and Tourism and Events Queensland. Picture: Supplied

Tourism Whitsundays has a new Chief Executive Officer, with former Tourism Fiji CEO Rick Hamilton ready to hit the ground running as Natassia Wheeler’s replacement.

Mr Hamilton comes to Tourism Whitsundays with more than 25 years of senior travel and tourism experience, most recently as Group Executive of Destinations and Global Partnerships at Tourism and Events Queensland – a role that involved leading the development and management of an international marketing team across Queensland’s 12 priority markets, relationships with the regional tourism network and the aviation portfolio.

Before this, Mr Hamilton was CEO of Tourism Fiji, and 18 years at Flight Centre where he had progressively senior roles in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

As CEO of Tourism Whitsundays, Mr Hamilton will be aiming to bring the region’s overnight visitor expenditure to better than pre Covid-19 and Tropical Cyclone Debbie figures of more than $850 million and total visitation to one million.

Mr Hamilton is excited to showcase the Whitsundays as “the globally recognised Great Barrier Reef destination”.

With a clear vision for the future direction of Tourism Whitsundays and a passion for the tourism industry, Mr Hamilton said he could not wait to get started in October, bringing a leadership style based around “open communication, collaboration, decisive decision-making, and recognition and development”.

“I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity to lead Tourism Whitsundays and continue to showcase the Whitsundays as the globally recognised Great Barrier Reef destination,” Mr Hamilton said.

“The Whitsundays is an incredible destination, I can’t wait to meet with industry and learn more about the region that I will call my home, in the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.

Natassia Wheeler is leaving Tourism Whitsundays in September after eight years with the organisation. Picture: Tourism Whitsundays

Endorsing the appointment on Wednesday, Tourism Whitsundays Chair Matt Boileau said Mr Hamilton’s skills and expertise would benefit the entire Whitsunday region, but particularly individual tourism operators recovering and rebuilding of one of the region’s most important sectors.

Mr Boileau said more than 100 people applied for the job, but Mr Hamilton’s “proven ability to identify and seize opportunities to drive growth in sales, revenue and market share” made him the most suitable candidate.

“I look forward to seeing the outcomes he achieves.” Mr Boileau said.

The organisation’s current CEO Natassia Wheeler departs the role on Friday, September 17, with a farewell at Whitsunday Marine Club planned for the afternoon.