The raunchy new images, part of the Gotta Love the Wet Season for the Cairns region of north Queensland, show sexy women in bikinis and wet t-shirt competitions.

Experiencing a substantial reduction in visitor numbers due to the economic crisis, the tourism authority of the region has supported the campaign.

Latest figures show Cairns and the tropical north region of Australia had 80,000 fewer visitors - a record drop of 10 per cent - in 2008.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chairman Stephen Olle said it was "crunch time" for the industry.

Mr Olle also said a lot of tourism-related businesses were in 'survival mode', laying off staff, waiting for the market to pick up again in the traditional tourist season of May to September.

'Sex and raunchiness is part of the backpacker market but it is certainly not all of it,' he said. 'They do the trips to the reef, the tours, the dive courses, and they go out and make a night of it.'

However Family First candidate for Cairns, Janice Skipp, strongly disagreed with new campaign on Friday.

'I know sex sells,' she said. 'But to promote sex and wet T-shirts is not a good image.

'Some would like to see Cairns as party town, but families come here, too. I don't think backpackers are the future of Cairns. I think we should aim at the higher end of town.'