WHITSUNDAY tourism operator Tony Brown has taken the fight against dredging and sea dumping at Abbot Point to the other side of the world.

Mr Brown is currently in Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank AGM. He has already visited the Societe Generale in Paris. Tomorrow he will head to London to talk with the HSBC.

The purpose of his mission is to ask the big banks to think about the social and environmental consequences of investing in what could potentially become the world's biggest coal terminal, in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef.

Mr Brown said he became a shareholder in these companies so he could send a message in person about how sea-dumping for mega-ports would impact both the livelihoods of those in the tourism industry and the experience of millions of visitors keen to see the Great Barrier Reef.

"Major coal companies such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American coal and massive investors Blackrock are pulling out of these projects for financial reasons and environmental concerns - and with the support of the banks we can protect the Whitsundays from unnecessary dredging," he said.

"Dumping of dredge spoil harms coral and affects visibility in the water - two reasons millions of people from around the world come to visit the Whitsundays each year [and] we are urging banks not to take this risk with the Great Barrier Reef."

However, North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) senior manager of corporate relations Mary Steele was sceptical about the motivation for Mr Brown's visit to Europe.

Ms Steele said that in the publicly released funding proposal for the Australian anti-coal movement, one of the strategies listed was to increase investor risk through creating uncertainty and a heightened perception of risks over coal investments.

Meanwhile, she said the ports corporation stood by the "rigorous scientific evidence" supporting the expansion at Abbot Point in an environmentally sustainable manner.

"Large investment organisations including banks practise a high level of due diligence which ensures that investments are made on sound social, environmental and economic evidence," she said.

But Mr Brown is not giving up. Speaking from Paris on Tuesday night, he said he was putting all his efforts into this "one shot" at imparting a local tourism operator's position and appealing to the bank's "duty of care".

"I'm only asking for best practice and I don't believe that includes sea dumping. There are better alternatives and I'm a bit like a dog with a bone about it - the Great Barrier Reef is too precious to just allow sea-dumping because it's the cheapest option," he said.

While in Paris, Mr Brown also visited the UNESCO building.

UNESCO recently stated "regret" about the expansion of Abbot Point and extended the timeframe for their decision about whether or not to put the Great Barrier Reef on an endangered list. "They're an important player and they're important in how the banks perceive their involvement," Mr Brown said.

"The fact that they mention Abbot Point in their draft - to me, it says they have some concerns and that's a statement in itself."