The Australian Tourism Industry Council is calling on the Regional Migration Review to extend the specified work requirements of Working Holiday Maker visa holders to the hospitality and tourism industries to help fill critical roles.
In the year ending March 2024, Working Holiday Makers spent $3bn in Australia, creating more than 11,000 jobs across the country, particularly in regional areas.
In its submission to the Regional Migration Review, the Australian Tourism Industry Council is asking for the specified work requirements, which allow Working Holiday Makers to extend their visa for up to three years, to include tourism and hospitality.
The major submission is also calling on Tourism Australia to invest $5m in attracting and dispersing long-stay Working Holiday Makers across the country.
Australian Tourism Industry Council Chair Evan Hall says Working Holiday Makers are critical to Australian tourism and regional economies.
“Not only do Working Holiday Makers fill critical roles in tourism and hospitality across Australia’s cities and regions, but they stay more than eight times as long, spend more than twice as much, and travel to more states and regions than other international visitors to Australia.
“The longer the stay and spend of Working Holiday Makers, the greater the regional employment created.”
Currently, requirements stipulate that Working Holiday Makers must complete specified work periods within the agriculture industry to be eligible for a second and third visa, but Hall says this should be expanded to include hospitality jobs across regional Australia.
“Working Holiday Makers should be allowed to work in great tourism and hospitality jobs while travelling during their working holiday to qualify for a longer stay,” he stated.
“It is critical that the Australian Government invests additional funding in Tourism Australia to attract Working Holiday Makers and the jobs they create to regional Australia.”
Advocacy by the Australian Tourism Industry Council has already secured a commitment from the Federal Government that Working Holiday Maker visas will not be capped at twelve months.