Tourism operators are giving locals a great deal to experience the best in their own back yard so it's time to get out and get spending.

Tourism has taken a bashing in Cairns due to the global financial crisis and a downturn in the local economy but operators are fighting back with extra special deals to lure the home market.

"I think this recognises just how tough it has been and that the industry is making a concerted effort," Advance Cairns chairman Russell Beer said.

"These are tough resilient people who have their skin in the game," he said.

"They survived the pilots’ strike, 9/11, and SARS and have still stayed alive."

Mr Beer said the region was approaching its quiet period, a time when businesses would normally have built up financial reserves as a buffer.

"It will be a tough time until next April," he said.

The good news for locals is that there has perhaps never been a better time to holiday at home.

Life may not always be easy or beautiful but there is a beauty about living in Cairns because when work stops there is no reason to leave the region to have fun.

• More great Cairns tours and activities

Tour operators offer fantastic specials and tend to use their low season particularly to connect with their long-term customers.

"We want people to see what’s operating in their own back yard," general manager of Skyrail Max Shepherd said.

Mr Shepherd said Skyrail has a good following locally and, recently, had many people making the trip from Innisfail to enjoy its tours.

Sales manager (western markets) of the CaPTA group Ben Woodward said the company’s nature attractions were offering great deals.

A four-park family pass, for example, with unlimited access for a year to the Rainforestation in Kuranda, the Butterfly Sanctuary, the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary and Cairns Wildlife Dome will set you back just $100 if you buy it before Christmas.

• Win a four-park family pass

And there are new things to see to boot.

"We have a new behind-the-scenes tour at our breeding laboratory at the butterfly sanctuary," Mr Woodward said.

"At the habitat, we have black-necked storks, the only ones in captivity with new chicks, which are growing up very fast," he said.

Sailing may sound like a hobby of the idle rich but it doesn’t have to be.

In Cairns, you don’t have to have your own boat or pay the tourist price for a day sail because many companies offer discounts on day sails and even for visitors who are friends of locals.

Reef Magic, a family company run by Tim North, has already been showing great innovation by running Cairns’ first whale-watching trips from last July until October this year.

"We had a huge following locally," Jeff Cameron-Smith, Reef Magic Cruises sales and marketing manager said.

Do you have a special deal for locals? Submit the details.

The Cairns Yacht Club runs yacht races every Wednesday afternoon and guests are welcome.

You can hitch a ride on one of the yachts as it sails around the Trinity Inlet for a donation of $15 per person (or $5) for members.

Commodore Warner Ferguson of Cairns Yacht Club says the races have been running for 29 years with numbers growing exponentially.

Or maybe something even more active is up your alley.

Co-owner of Cable Ski Cairns Petra Dunn said almost half of her customers came from the region and vary from people who compete internationally to beginners.

"We usually support the local community with free vouchers for fetes and charity organisations," Ms Dunn said.

"It (water-skiing) is a fun activity to do in a tropical climate."

See The Weekend Post today for a list of tour operators offering special locals' deals.

• Cairns kids' activities
• Great Barrier Reef cruises
• Adventure activities
• Cairns wildlife attractions

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