‘It’s like a graveyard’: Billionaire investor Ghassan Aboud warns Cairns is on the brink of becoming a ghost town if city’s leaders don’t lift their game
The Grim Reaper looms over Cairns unless the city’s leaders can dramatically increase international flights, reduce crime and drive greater investment in the destination, Syrian-born billionaire Ghassan Aboud has warned.
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The Grim Reaper looms over Cairns unless the city’s leaders can dramatically increase international flights, reduce crime and drive greater investment in the destination, Syrian-born billionaire Ghassan Aboud has warned.
But Member for Cairns Michael Healy has dismissed the international entrepreneur’s doomsday appraisal, pointing to the region’s resilience as it bounces back from a disastrous wet season.
The Crystalbrook Collection owner delivered a searing 16-minute address without interruption on Thursday, criticising “the Brisbane government” and civic leaders, more than five years on from the opening of his first five-star resort in Cairns in 2018.
And with the luxury accommodation provider’s Port Douglas marina already on the market, Mr Aboud has threatened to sell off his three Cairns CBD hotels, worth $600m, if change didn’t occur soon.
“Not from Queensland but I will draw out of this area only,” Mr Aboud said.
“No more investment in Cairns or Port Douglas until I see something new happen.
“So many airlines have drawn out (of the airport). What is this? It looks like this city is coming to die. By the way, you need to understand that cities can die. If you don’t care, it will die.
“I’m really disappointed. I enjoy here. The elements are great for tourists.
“But I hope you will forgive me when I tell you that the influence people — I have never seen something like this in all the world. Why don’t you push to grow?”
The UAE-based businessman lashed the city’s leadership for its lack of vision and investment despite this month’s development approval for an $80m tower on Abbott St, $18m Shields St revamp and $28m upgrade to the city’s Esplanade, completed in 2021.
“In business, I can’t do everything alone,” Mr Aboud said.
“I’m not God. We need a team who works together but a team who keeps their word.
“You need to bring people from outside, speak to the airlines about this airport which is most of the time empty. At night (in Cairns) after six o’clock, it’s like a graveyard.”
When contacted, Mr Healy praised Mr Aboud’s bold investment in the region but added Cairns was still fighting back after a slow start to the year due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
“Ghassan Aboud and his investment in the five-star Crystalbrook resorts has helped to transform the heart of Cairns,” Mr Healy said.
“We’re always working on attracting more tourists, more flights, and more business, sports and entertainment events.
“We’re also encouraging private investors to realise the potential of Cairns and this week I announced a $15m fund to back new tourism infrastructure projects in the state.”
Bringing international carriers back to Cairns is the first step in revitalising the region, Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said.
“When we’ve seen investment, we’ve seen results,” Mr Olsen said.
“When the state government jumped in behind the Aviation Attraction Investment Fund we started to get flights back.
“That $100m investment needs to be made at the October election to give hope back to the developers and investors in this region.”
But the global pandemic, Far North flood and cost-of-living crisis couldn’t be used as excuses, with other international destinations streaking ahead despite similar challenges, Mr Aboud said.
“This is big lies,” Mr Aboud said.
“In Dubai, they’re booming. Also, other areas of Europe, they don’t deal with the pandemic like this. Anyway, the pandemic finished one-year-and-a-half (ago).
“What’s happened since then. Can you tell me? More shops close, more (street) corners dead, more restaurants out (of business).”
More flights were desperately needed to increase the number of guests in hotel rooms, Crystalbrook Collection CEO, Geoff York said.
“We’re a fly-in destination,” he said.
“International tourists flying into Cairns is critical and those numbers are around half of what they were pre-Covid.”
But Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker disputed the figures, adding the city had worked hard to rebuild its brand from nothing since Australia’s international borders were reopened in 2022.
“For the month of February, domestic figures reached 96 per cent of pre-Covid passenger numbers, while international reached 85 per cent of pre-Covid figures,” Mr Barker said.
“All airlines we had immediately before the pandemic are back, and more will be announced in coming months.
“February is traditionally one of our regions’ softest months and the flooding late last year also impacted travel.”
Mr Aboud is expected to appear on commercial radio station, 4CA on Friday.
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