Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Managing Director Peter Shelley is encouraging both businesses and governments to develop incentives to entice workers into the tourism sector.
Speaking to travelBulletin at ATEC Meeting Place on the Gold Coast, Shelley praised campaigns run by the Queensland and South Australian governments to help fill high industry vacancies.
“We’re at record numbers of working holidaymakers in this country right now, so the supply is coming back,” Shelley said.
“It’s still a competitive market because there are not enough workers for both skilled and unskilled roles across the country.
“But I would say any state that is looking to attract working holidaymakers, putting incentive programs in place is not a bad idea,” Shelley added.
In 2021, then-Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk launched the ‘Work in Paradise’ pitch to lure Australians in other states and territories to relocate to North Queensland and fill a glut of jobs left by working holiday-makers who abruptly returned home during the pandemic.
The $7.5m program included a $1,500 relocation incentive to help find a new home, and $250 in travel vouchers if they secured a job in tourism.
The campaign was quickly put on ice when an outbreak of COVID-19 saw the state close its border, before being relaunched in 2022 as the recovery began, and again in 2024 under a new tagline of ‘Choose Tourism’.
South Australia followed suit in 2022 with the smaller ‘Ten Pound Pom’ pitch, inviting British and Irish workers to seek tourism jobs in Adelaide and regional areas.
Shelley said with a competitive labour market, workers had choice, meaning businesses need to make their employment prospect more appealing.
“I think the business market is meeting the employee demand [because] if you’re not offering a job that’s competitive and attractive in its conditions, you’re pretty well not going to get your workforce because people have choice now,” Shelley said.
The ATEC boss added the organisation is closely monitoring the impact of changed visa rules no longer requiring working holidaymakers to spend time with regional employers to obtain second and third-year extensions.
Despite this, the organisation said it hasn’t yet seen a hesitancy among longer-term international visitors to venture into regional areas to seek employment.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an issue at this stage, but it’s a watching brief,” Shelley said.
