Boost for hospitality sector as government increases number of working holiday visas

Australia’s hospitality sector will find it easier to get backpacker staff after the Federal Government granted working holiday visas to travellers from Greece, Ecuador, Argentina, Malaysia, Singapore and Portugal alongside recent increases in caps for Spain, Israel, Peru and Chile. The age cap for French applicants has also been extended to 35 years.

Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) has welcomed the expansion of the visa program.

“Each year working holiday makers play a crucial role in Australia’s hotels, restaurants, pubs and taverns,” said TAA CEO Michael Johnson.

“The expansion of the Working Holiday Maker visa program will incentivise young workers to come to Australia and stay for longer.

“This will not only deliver a dividend in terms of increasing an important source of labour, but the evidence shows that working holiday makers spend what they earn in Australia and disperse widely throughout Australia’s regional areas.”

The TAA also wants to see reforms to Australia’s skilled migration program to help address labour shortages throughout the accommodation and hospitality industry.

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) wants to see the visa program expanded to all applicants up to 35 years of age.

“Back in 2012, ATEC submitted a detailed report to the Government on the economic value of our backpacker market and urged increases to the number of visas, and extending the visa age limit to 35 years,” ATEC managing director Peter Shelley said.

“We are pleased to see, seven years on, some positive changes to what is a valuable sector of our international visitation market and welcome the increases announced by the federal government.

“But we offer out this challenge, to bring all our visa agreements into line with those of Canada, Ireland and now France, where applicants can apply for a visa up to 35 years of age.”

Sheridan Randall, 8^th July 2019