The Barrier Reef is in danger – but it’s still one of the world’s great sights
by Joshua Robertson from Environment | The Guardian on (#1HN31)
In Cairns, north Queensland, coral bleaching isn't the real worry - it's the fear that tourists won't come because they think the reef is already dead
Anyone in the Cairns tourism industry who might be feeling a sense of panic about the largest destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef since divers first strapped on snorkels is not letting it show.
The north-eastern Australian city - a global holiday destination where the natural wonder's name festoons everything from the signs greeting airport arrivals to the local casino - is celebrating a storming tourist trade over the last 12 months.
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