Best Jobs in the World finalists
Tourism Minister Gary Gray congratulated the candidates who have made it through to the final round in the Best Jobs in the World competition.
The campaign has been very successful to date, with more than 620,000 applications from 330,000 people in 196 countries. The competition is now down to a shortlist of 18 finalists.
"I congratulate the candidates that have made it through to the final round," Mr Gray said.
"The quality and calibre of the finalists is extremely impressive, with many providing supporting references from some of the most world's most famous identities. It is simply fantastic to see the passion and creativity among the candidates in advocating Australia as a working holiday destination," he said.
The finalists are in the running for six Best Jobs in the World: Chief Funster (New South Wales); Outback Adventurer (Northern Territory); Taste Master (Western Australia); Wildlife Caretaker (South Australia); Park Ranger (Queensland); and Lifestyle Photographer (Victoria).
The $4 million campaign is supported by State and Territory Tourism Organisations as well as commercial partners including Virgin Australia, STA Travel, Citibank, Dell, Ikea, Sony Music and Monster.com.
"It is pleasing to see the State and Territory Tourism Organisations working closely with Tourism Australia under the one banner to promote a working holiday in Australia to international and domestic youth travellers.
"The campaign is already having a positive impact, with major industry partner STA Travel and several local Australian operators seeing substantial increases in consumer interest for Australian working holidays and youth travel." Mr Gray said.
Since the competition was launched, Tourism Australia's working holiday maker Facebook page has grown from 150,000 to 430,000 fans with young people around the world actively seeking information about a working holiday in Australia.
Minister Assisting for Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, said the international youth segment remained an important part of Australia's visitor mix, contributing $12.2 billion annually in tourism spending and delivering nearly 1.6 million (26 per cent) of Australia's international arrivals.
"On average, international youth travellers spend $7,259 per trip in Australia, spending more time and dispersing more widely than other visitor segments," Senator Farrell said.
"Travellers who are able to undertake temporary work during their travels are more likely to travel longer and spend more, particularly in regional areas.
"In 2012, Working Holiday Makers contributed $2.5 billion to the Australian economy.
"Research shows that each Working Holiday Maker spends on average in excess of $13,000 during their stay and importantly makes a significant contribution to regional economies and job creation."
Source: Accommodation Association of Australia, 16 May 2013
