The QTIC board was established in 2001 and represents a range of sectors across the Queensland tourism and hospitality industry. With diverse backgrounds, our board members are equipped to provide expert guidance to QTIC and the tourism industry.
QTIC is governed under the Corporations Act and the Corporations Regulations.
Elsa Dalessio
Elsa D’Alessio is the QTIC Board Chair and an experienced senior leader with significant leadership, commercial, operational and logistics experience in the aviation, tourism and transport industries with a successful track record as a business leader, and commitment to excellence.
She has had a successful career at Qantas, most recently as Regional General Manager QLD / NT, Executive General Manager Commercial Qantas Regional Airlines and CEO Sunstate Airlines. With an unblemished track record and an unrelenting focus on results, Elsa was one of the first female and youngest CEO equivalents of a Qantas Group airline. She recently was also appointed as the first female Chair of Aviation Australia and had her own Tourism and Aviation Strategy consulting business.
Elsa has also held Board and Committee roles as follows – Premier of Queensland Business Advisory Council Member; Queensland Futures Institute Corporate Council Member; Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Business Advisory Council Member and Chair of the Legacy Advisory of the Queensland’s Childrens Hospital Foundation.
Mark Evans
Mark Evans has been in the tourism industry for 30 years. In that time he and his family have brought Paronella Park from a forgotten attraction on a back road, to Queensland’s Number 1 must-do, winning multiple awards for both tourism and business.
The business has now broadened to include the Mena Creek Hotel and Mamu Tropical Skywalk, creating a destination south of Cairns. Mark currently serves on the Townsville Enterprise Limited Strategic Advisory Committee for Tourism, and has previously served as a Board Member for Tourism Tropical North Queensland for a total of 13 years.
Mark is also an experienced Guest Speaker and has presented throughout Australia and overseas. He has also lead the business in overcoming adversity (two cyclones, GFC, COVID-19). Mark’s business success stems from the ability to innovate and embrace change. This is critical leading up to, and during, these challenging times. Relationships and teamwork have been a key contributor to the success of his businesses, as it is in any venture.
Peter Woodward
Peter is the Managing Director of the CaPTA Group, which is owned by the Woodward family and operates tours and attractions in the Cairns and Port Douglas region.
His family has operated tourism attractions in the region since 1976. The CaPTA Group comprises of the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, Cairns ZOOM & Wildlife Dome, Rainforestation Nature Park, Tropic Wings Cairns Tours & Charters, Jungle Tours & Trekking, Wildlife Habitat, Wooroonooran Safaris, ABC Sales & Maintenance and Careers Training Centre. As part-owner and Managing Director of Respax – which is a software company that develops booking, manifesting and operational solutions for attractions and tour operators throughout Queensland, Australia and SE Asia, Peter has worked with tourism organisations of all sizes and appreciate the different operational challenges that different business’ experience. Peter is on the committee for Cairns Amateurs Racing on the Reef Carnival and has previously been a director of TTNQ from 2016 to 2020.
After attending the University of Queensland and completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science), Peter worked in the finance industry before moving back into Tourism.
Nick Ellis
Nick Ellis is a passionate hotelier, serving on the front line of the tourism industry for more than 20 years. Nick has built a strong reputation as an energetic, active and entrepreneurial thought-leader with a passion for the development and growth of people, product excellence and experience innovation.
A born and bred Queenslander, Nick has been fortunate enough to travel Australia, building industry expertise across a wide range of hotels. Nick worked as General Manager for the global brand launch of Accor’s Tribe Hotels. In his current role as Innovation Manager for Spicers Retreats and Scenic Rim Trail, Nick focuses on creating innovative solutions to improve guest experience, as well as transforming business processes for the Queensland operated hotel and experience group.
Alongside QTIC, Nick works with the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport as part of the Young Tourism Leaders program and has been a member of the judging panel for the Queensland Tourism Awards since 2020.
Cameron Costello
Cameron is a Quandamooka man from Moreton Bay off the coast of Brisbane in South East Queensland. Cameron is a law graduate from the University of Queensland and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Leisure Management.
He has worked previously in the legal industry and for more than 15 years in local and state governments delivering Indigenous policies and programs including the Backing Indigenous Arts Program and the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Cameron was formerly the CEO for the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation – the Native Title Body and cultural heritage body for Moreton Bay including Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) that jointly manages the Naree Budjong Djarra (My Mother Earth) National Park, runs Quandamooka Coast Tourism experiences and the Quandamooka Festival. He is Chair of the QTIC Indigenous Working Group, member of the Queensland Koala Advisory Council, member of the Healthy Land & Water Indigenous Advisory Committee and a member of the Arts Queensland First Nations Arts and Cultural Panel.
Michelle Weston
With over thirteen years’ experience in national and state caravanning industry associations, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Caravan Parks Association of Queensland (CPAQ), Michelle has a strong knowledge of the issues that face industry associations.
With a highly engaged membership base, consisting primarily of small operators, Michelle can clearly articulate the issues facing industry businesses, and supports operators by actively advocating for whole-of-tourism programs. For over four years, Michelle has been an active participant of the QTIC Associations Council. Through meeting participation and the development of meaningful relationships with other participants, she understands the importance of the Associations Council to overall QTIC policy discussions, and the benefit of representing a united voice from the Council to the QTIC Board.
Along with her understanding of associations governance and finance, Michelle brings a strong regional perspective to the QTIC Board and provides a voice for small tourism businesses across the state.
Alison Smith
As CEO, Alison is responsible for leading a diverse team of professionals at the LGAQ, which is the peak body for local government across Queensland. The LGAQ has been advising, supporting and representing local councils since 1896, enabling them to improve their operations and strengthen relationships with their communities.
Between 2007-2020, Alison has worked with ASX-100 companies, heading their corporate affairs functions. Alison was Group Executive External Affairs at The Star Entertainment Group, and previously held media and corporate affairs roles at Rio Tinto’s coal and uranium businesses in Australia, Africa, and Canada. Alison has worked in the public and private sectors in ICT, transport, energy, police, and corrective services. She also spent 14 years as a journalist, working in newspapers, radio, and television, before being a senior media advisor in the Queensland Government for two terms.
Alison is currently a director on the Peak Services and Queensland Tourism Industry Council boards. Her past board roles have included Chair of the Brisbane Festival (2019-2022).
Natassia Wheeler
Tash has been a passionate and dedicated professional in Queensland’s tourism industry for over 17 years. As the CEO of Moreton Bay Region Industry & Tourism (MBRIT), she leads a not-for-profit organisation driven by the prosperity of the City of Moreton Bay through innovation, events, tourism, and acting as a business conduit.
Tash has successfully headed two Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) and worked at Tourism and Events Queensland, gaining extensive experience across several regions in Queensland. She is a proven, highly successful hands-on team leader with a deep understanding of stakeholder needs. Throughout her career, Tash has demonstrated resilience and effective crisis management, leading the Whitsundays tourism industry through numerous challenges, including cyclones, marine incidents, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her ability to collaborate with key stakeholders, including government entities, has consistently achieved benchmark results for the regions she has served. Tash possesses a strong background in operational management, marketing, events, financial management, publicity, crisis communications, human resources, and stakeholder management. Her approachable and natural leadership style fosters an open and consultative environment, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
Tash continues to contribute to the tourism industry through her leadership at MBRIT, focusing on creating opportunities for growth and development in the region. Her genuine understanding of industry issues and commitment to being part of the solution underscores her dedication to the prosperity of Moreton Bay and its community.
Tash is an advocate for all things Queensland!
Juliet Alabaster
Juliet Alabaster has a strong visitor economy background, from growing up in one of Queensland’s most iconic hotels – the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel, to overseeing the sustainable growth of Brisbane’s economy in her role at Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA).
Having worked at BEDA since 2008, Juliet carries a wealth of experience to her current position of Chief Operating Officer, leading the BEDA team to drive demand for Brisbane as an exciting tourist destination, and create growth and trade opportunities for local businesses. In her prior roles across business events, tourism and major events, Juliet has spent many years championing Brisbane’s visitor economy capabilities. Under her stewardship, BEDA implemented the Visitor Economy 2031: Vision for the Brisbane Region, developed and implemented the city’s first International Incentives Strategy, and secured the inaugural edition of hero major events that remain within Brisbane’s annual events calendar.
Juliet is also a Non-Executive Director of City Parklands Services, Deputy Chair of the Queensland Regional Tourism Network and a former Non-Executive Director of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux.
Abbey Filko
Abbey has been a dynamic force in Queensland’s tourism industry for two decades. Born into a family of hoteliers, tourism runs through her veins. She has become recognised as a collaborator, ambassador, leader, and educator, dedicated to the industry’s growth.
Her journey is marked by a diversity of roles, including managing resort accommodation, mentoring small business, advisory council member, leading Gympie Cooloola Tourism, and educating. As the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Airtrain, she’s navigated the industry’s highs and lows from the exhilaration of the Commonwealth Games to the challenges of COVID-19. These experiences emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts with fellow tourism operators, cross-skilling employees, resilience, and sustainability.
Abbey’s community engagement and leadership is exemplified by her role in the Young Tourism Leaders program, which connects industry role models with students, inspiring them about the diverse career prospects in tourism. Abbey’s deep understanding of the industry’s issues, coupled with her drive to effect real change, will undoubtedly make her a key asset on the QTIC board.
Her fresh ideas, strategic acumen, and collaborative mindset will focus on promoting success, particularly by championing emerging professionals, fostering sustainable tourism, and facilitating growth as Queensland approaches the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.
