THE lure of a legendary barramundi is a powerful thing and the humble pastime of fishing has the power to transcend culture, language and belief systems.

This is the belief of Executive Chair of the Australian Fishing Championships Michael Harris who was in Proserpine this week filming the opening round of AFC 13.

"This program is relevant to people who live within a 400km radius of Proserpine, is relevant to people who live throughout Australia but at the same time has value and means something to people who live in China, Japan and all through Asia," he said.

The Australian Fishing Championship event has been secured for the Whitsunday region by Tourism Whitsundays and will expose Lake Proserpine to national attention on the Nine network and Fox Sports and internationally throughout Asia into 20 markets and 300 million homes on Fox Sports Asia and CCTV 5 in China.

CEO of Tourism Craig Turner said this leg of the tour had been purchased with a view to offering the hinterland of Airlie Beach to travellers visiting the Whitsundays in conjunction with the traditional marketing of island and reef holidays.

"We recognise the Whitsundays is more than islands and reef, whilst that is great we have fantastic opportunities for barra fishing and we are investing in trying to disperse people to show them everything the Whitsundays has to offer," he said.

Mayor of the Whitsunday Regional Council Andrew Willcox today met with anglers fishing in the event and production crews at the Metropole Hotel in Proserpine.

"The Australian Fishing Championships will showcase Lake Proserpine and the Whitsundays as a fishing Mecca and help to grow recreational fishing tourism in the region," he said.

"From the feedback I have received from the anglers and people involved with the Championships, the Whitsundays will continue to grow as a must-see recreational fishing destination in Australia."