Get paid to island-hop in paradise? Sign us up! Tourism Whitsundays wants an iconic individual to audit the 74 islands’ most legendary experiences and share them worldwide as the Whitsundays’ first-ever ‘Chief Icon Officer’.
Tourism Whitsundays (TW) has launched its most ambitious campaign ever to recruit a Chief Icon Officer for a 10-day contract to conduct an end-to-end analysis of the Tropical North Queensland region’s most iconic experiences.
The Chief Icon Officer’s duties will take place between May and July 2026 and include a sweeping audit across the Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven Beach, Heart Reef and the 74 islands by air, sea and land and document their experiences on social media.
In addition, the Chief Icon Officer can appoint a Chief Icon Assistant to accompany them for the full 10-day assignment to help with “icon analysis and vibe curation”.
The iconic duo will receive domestic flights, 10 nights’ accommodation, a F&B allowance and access to a full itinerary of tours and experiences with a total value of approximately $10,000.
Keen “high-vibe” candidates aged over 18 years can apply by posting a video on TikTok or Instagram that demonstrates their ‘iconic’ status and filling out a form by 8 May 2026.
Tourism Whitsundays CEO Tim Booth said:”The Whitsundays is one of Australia’s most naturally iconic destinations and this campaign is about letting that speak for itself through the eyes of someone who lives and breathes iconic energy.”
“The Chief Icon Officer activation is a bold, creative way to put The Whitsundays in front of millions of Australians and inspire them to experience it for themselves. We can’t wait to see who puts their hand up.”
The 2026 major campaign features member businesses and runs from 23 March to 15 June, building on TW’s ‘Naturally Iconic’ brand platform, which launched in 2025.
It also follows the same innovative vein of creative campaigns like the Siri, Wonders of the Whitsundays promotion, leveraging the Aussie voice of ‘Siri’, Whitsundays local Karen Jacobsen.
The out-of-home (OOH) campaign will target TW’s key markets of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast as well as regional Queensland across core audience segments, highlighting dining, accommodation, adventure experiences and activities.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Tourism Whitsundays’ Chief Icon Officer campaign reflects a shift towards creator-led destination marketing, turning storytelling into a conversion tool while giving travel advisors fresh, highly shareable content to drive demand.
