Paradise Adventure Travels opens in Cairns CBD
There is more to a new Cairns travel business than what meets the eye with artificial reality and art adding a “dynamic” flair to traditional tourist experiences. See what they’re up to.
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There is more to a new Cairns travel business than what meets the eye with artificial reality and art adding a “dynamic” flair to traditional tourist experiences.
Paradise Adventure Travel opened on Saturday on the corner of Lake and Shields St in what is a new business venture for owner Joseph Kim.
The months-long vacant space provided greater potential than Mr Kim originally planned, with the opportunity to expand beyond a regular travel agency.
“This was a prominent location, we didn’t realise how big it was,” he said.
“We have a couple desks for travel bookings, a little lounge area where backpackers can chill out while waiting for bookings, we have AR, video games.
“John (Grasso) from Australia Gallery came in and said ‘how about I hang up some of my paintings here’.”
There’s also another gallery out the back filled with Indigenous paintings.
The aim was for hteb usiness to have a “character element” and be a “bit different”, but Mr Kim said travel adventures was the main focus.
“We offer tours from everywhere in Australia, we want to add New Zealand, Fiji, Asia,” he said.
“It’s for backpackers and locals who can explore the Great Barrier Reef, skydiving, white water rafting, Cape Trib, The Whitsundays.”
Mr Kim realised his passion for travel and the region after coming to the Far North on holiday back in 2013, where he “fell in love with Cairns” and connected with people from the industry and other travellers.
“They brought their world to me through conversations and stories they’d tell about their home town, and it made me dream of seeing the world,” he said.
“Somewhere between realising that dream, I opened my beloved travel store Paradise Adventure Travel.”
He owned six travel agencies across Cairns and one hostel before the pandemic, and created each store with its own theme and decor — a sentiment he didn’t leave behind.
“It’s a pretty dynamic store, it’s got my heart and soul in it,” he said.
“I want my customers to step in, book some tours and have some fun, I want to get the backpacker community happening again.”
Still in its early days, Mr Kim already has plans to transform the space into a function centre at nights to provide backpackers with networking opportunities and local businesses a venue to promote what they offer.
Paradise Adventure Travel is open seven days a week, from 9am to 9pm.
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Originally published as Paradise Adventure Travels opens in Cairns CBD
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