A TOURISM levy to market the Far North is officially off the agenda. Is this an opportunity for extra funds lost? Could Cairns have benefited from a similar windfall to the Gold Coast's extra $14m?

Business groups and Tourism Tropical North Queensland have dropped the proposal to raise millions of dollars from ratepayers.

TTNQ, as well as the Cairns Business Leaders Alliance, have backed away from the idea which was revitalised by newly elected TTNQ chairman Stephen Gregg in October.

But the Cairns Regional Council has been reluctant to levy ratepayers to pay for tourism marketing and it has received a lot of community opposition.

Instead, TTNQ, the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, the Urban Development Institute of Australia and Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland will seek up to $7 million from the council and the State Government to boost the economic development fund which would also be used to sell tourism.

TTNQ chief executive officer Rob Giason said the levy was "dead".

"We’re not talking about it any more," he said.

"The issue is not solely about the tourism industry, it’s about driving the whole economic development of the region of which tourism is a big part."

The four groups will now seek up to $5 million on top of the $2 million which is in the council’s economic development budget.

This financial year, TTNQ received about $880,000 from the council and $300,000 from the Government.

It also works co-operatively with Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia on marketing campaigns, usually on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

The business alliance, joined by TTNQ, has also released its fifth and final report card, this time on the issue of tourism development.

"The lack of sustainable ongoing funding for tourism in our region has been highlighted as a critical problem area which is short-sheeting tourism recovery in the Far North," chamber president Anthony Mirotsos said.

In the report card, the Federal and State governments scored most poorly, but Tourism Minister Jan Jarratt hit back saying the Government had committed more than $100 million recently, including for the cruise terminal and foreshore redevelopment.

Mr Mirotsos said with elections under way it was timely to pressure all politicians to provide tourism funding.

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