Working holiday-makers still coming Downunder

Working holiday makers to Australia and NSW grew by three per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively, figures outlined in a new fact sheet released by Destination NSW at the  Australian Youth Tourism Exchange at the Sunshine Coast.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase, said: “There were 241,400 working holiday makers to Australia in the year ended December 2011 and NSW received the majority of them at 72.5 per cent, or almost 175,000 visitors.

“It’s encouraging to see that this figure is comparable with 2010, even though recent challenging conditions in the global economy have put pressure on Australian inbound tourism.

“New South Wales received 174,900 working holiday visitors, spending 13.1 million nights in the State and contributing $751 million in expenditure.

“The 18 to 30 year age bracket is an important segment in the youth tourism market as they tend to be first-time visitors, they stay longer, travel independently, are more flexible with planning and are more likely to travel to areas outside capital cities.

“Young travellers are digitally savvy experience seekers, with a high-energy approach to travel and willingness to participate in a range of social, outdoor and nature-based adventurous activities.

“The youth market represents strong short-term potential for tourism in Australia, as well as longer term potential through repeat visitation and spreading the message by word-of-mouth and social networking.”

Ms Chipchase said young travellers are looking for iconic and uniquely Australian experiences. NSW’s natural diversity is an asset: European travellers are inspired by Australia’s outdoor and beach culture while Asian and North American visitors are interested in nature-based activities.

“Destination NSW’s most recent youth campaign in March enlisted the contribution of five travel bloggers from around the world who embarked on a month-long travel odyssey across NSW.

“Travelling across the State in a bus, the bloggers shared their experiences with thousands of worldwide followers on Twitter and Facebook.”

ATEC Managing Director, Felicia Mariani, said ATEC had recently put forth a proposal to the Federal Government to adjust the eligibility settings for the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) which would make Australia an even more attractive destination for young people.

“Our position paper on the WHV 417 showed Australia stands to make significant economic gains through simple adjustments to the eligibility settings for this visa - benefits that would extend throughout Australia and to many sectors of the economy, Ms Mariani said.

“ATEC is strongly advocating for the extension of the “regional’ classification to the tourism industry - allowing WHV holders to extend their visa by 12 months after completing 88 days of work in a regional area and this has benefits that go beyond attracting more young travellers.”

Ms Mariani said young travellers not only spend more than leisure visitors, they create jobs, help fill semi-skilled and unskilled positions and contribute to regional economies.

“The youth travel market is extremely important to our tourism industry and we must ensure Australia remains an attractive and competitive destination,” Ms Mariani said.

Ms Chipchase said Destination NSW had been active in the youth market by delivering marketing campaigns in key markets like the USA, UK and New Zealand to showcase Sydney and NSW as an exciting, accessible and affordable destination for 18 to 30 year-olds.

“We know that NSW is a young traveller’s haven with more beaches, sites and adventure activities than anywhere else in the country and we have some of the world’s best clubs and restaurants in Australia.

“We will continue to market our State as the ideal work and travel destination for young travellers, with particular emphasis on lifestyle, sun, surf, adventure and great food and wine experiences,” Ms Chipchase said.

The Working Holiday Makers to NSW fact sheet is available here.