THE hundreds of crocodiles that cruise the waters of the Proserpine River may be the key to unlocking huge tourism potential for the Proserpine region.

For Proserpine Chamber of Commerce secretary Karen Vloedmans, she believes the scores of salties should be better marketed and celebrated to draw in the cruise passengers from Airlie Beach.

"There's the biggest concentration (of crocodiles here) than any river system in Queensland," Ms Vloedmans told Acting Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek and Member for Whitsunday Jason Costigan during a visit last week.

"There could be a hub of something to that effect. Not hide it away, open it up and celebrate it because tourists love it."

Ms Vloedmans said while some cruise ship passengers are brought out to experience the crocodile safari, there needed to be marketing on a bigger scale so other Proserpine hotspots could benefit.

"The cruise ship market is such a wonderful market for Airlie as it should be, and we know the coffee shop benefits, the museum benefits, as do the croc tours… it's a wonderful market, but let's grow the experience to keep them here longer," she said.

"Instead of that one hour offering (for cruise ship passengers), let's expand it to two or three hours of on shore activity and just grow. There's just so much product development happening and that's what we as a chamber are trying to drive.

"At the end of the day we need to provide more reasons to have that wonderful gift of the Bruce Hwy to anchor people here and give them a reason to stop. I don't think they haven't been thought of but that they haven't been pushed and driven until you get a result."

Owner of Whitsunday Crocodile Safari Steve Watson said there is a lot more to the Whitsundays than reef and islands.

He said the reason for the hinterland around Proserpine being over looked by travellers to the Whitsundays is many don't know what it has to offer.

"Its all about awareness and advertising," he said.

Whitsunday Crocodile Safari operates a two hour cruise that enables passengers to see some of the 200 adult crocodiles that inhabit the river.

Croc facts

The Australian saltwater crocodile can survive in salt water but prefers fresh and brackish water

Australian saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptile in the world and can weigh as much as 1000kg

They can travel over 1000km by sea which explains their wide distribution throughout Australia's north