Growing up in Outback Queensland, Carissa has built an exciting career promoting the state’s outback tourism. Straight out of high school, she jumped into the tourism industry, starting part-time at a motel restaurant in Longreach before diving into a full-time reception role. Despite initially thinking it would be a short stint, Carissa discovered the vast opportunities for career growth within the industry.
In 2014, she made her way to the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach, one of Queensland’s most renowned outback tourism spots. Over the past decade, Carissa has climbed the ladder, gaining hands-on experience across various roles at the museum. She began as part of the café's front-of-house team, then transitioned into roles such as tour guide, front-of-house supervisor, customer service manager, and event coordinator. Today, she serves as the Events and Communications Manager, where she leads guided tours, plans children’s activities, coordinates events, manages staff, and oversees communications and social media.
What drives Carissa's passion for regional tourism is the strong sense of community and her love for hearing guests' stories and witnessing their enjoyment of Queensland’s unique tourism offerings.
