PADI has announced that its inaugural AmbassaDiver Summit will take place in Cairns and on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef later this year.
Hosted in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) and Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ), the event will bring together influencers, content creators and celebrities to showcase the Great Barrier Reef’s world-class scuba diving.
The summit forms part of PADI’s 60th anniversary celebrations and also coincides with the 150th anniversary of the city of Cairns, the ‘gateway to the Great Barrier Reef’, which was founded in 1876.
‘For 60 years, PADI has empowered people to discover the transformative power of the underwater world and become advocates for its protection,’ said Dr Drew Richardson, President and CEO of PADI Worldwide. ‘This AmbassaDiver Summit is about passing that torch to the next generation of storytellers, explorers and changemakers.
‘By bringing together these influential voices on the Great Barrier Reef – one of the world’s most iconic marine ecosystems – we have an opportunity to inspire millions of people to join us in seeking adventure and saving the ocean.’
Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said it was a great honour to host the inaugural summit, which will showcase the beauty and health of the Great Barrier Reef and the steps the region’s diving industry is taking to preserve it.
‘This is our third global reef initiative supported by the Australian Government and provides another opportunity to demonstrate how tourism can play a positive role in conservation and regeneration of the world’s best-managed reef,’ Olsen said.
‘The Summit will give influential divers and ocean advocates a firsthand experience of the Reef and the industry’s commitment to protecting it.
‘Visitors contribute directly to the Great Barrier Reef’s health through the Environmental Management Charge, while operators continue their proactive approach to managing environmental and social impacts, with programs such as carbon reduction measures and certification.’
During the summit, AmbassaDivers will be taken on tours of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, which will include educational dives, local cultural experiences, and introductions to some of the conservation and regenerative tourism initiatives taking place across the region.
Following the Cairns event, participants will travel to other regions of the Great Barrier Reef, including Townsville to the north, the Whitsundays and Bundaberg towards the south.
One of the key themes of the summit will be ‘wellness’, with event partners Garmin and Neuro showcasing their products. Garmin’s advanced dive computers are filled with health and wellness metrics, and Neuro’s nootropic chewing gum and mints are marketed as beneficial to energy and mental performance.
Some of the prominent AmbassaDivers expected to attend include television presenter and ocean advocate Captain Jason Chambers, Japanese band Luv K Raft, social media creator Brandee Anthony, Chinese filmmaker Doudou, Indian adventurer Aakash Malhotra and Philippine conservationist Cha Ocampo.
PADI says that the summit will not be a one-off, and is expected to continue as a yearly event.
‘The inaugural PADI AmbassaDiver Summit establishes what will become an annual global gathering of the diving community’s most influential advocates,’ said Richardson, ‘creating a legacy that extends far beyond a single destination and helps shape the future of diving, conservation, and ocean stewardship for decades to come.’
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