Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 The outlook for the tourism industry is not all doom and gloom, according to the Department of Immigration’s latest six monthly report, which has stated that applications for working holiday visas in Australia are on the up. Indeed, in the six months up to December 31st, 2011, the number of travellers on a first year working holiday visa increased by 11.4%, says The Working Holiday Maker Visa Program Report. This return to significant growth, following the sharp decline in 2009 and slight growth in 2010, is linked to the wider global economic situation, the reports’ authors argue. Interestingly, much of the growth has come from outside the traditional markets. Visas granted to people from Hong Kong rose by 54.9%, from Taiwan by 43.1%, Italy by 30%, Ireland by 24.8% and Japan by 21.2%, while Dutch visas dropped by 7.5%. The UK remains the biggest source market, representing 19.5% of the total. In 2011, 17,760 Brits headed Down Under on a first working holiday visa, a rise of 1.6% on the previous year. The take-up for the second year working holiday visa was even more impressive, with the figures jumping by 34.5%. The report largely attributed this rise to the delayed flow-on effect of the growth experienced by the first year visa in 2010. Of the 25,000 or so second year visa holders, about 90% were engaged in agricultural work in 2010-11, according to the report. The rest were doing either construction work (9%) or mining work (1%). Overall, the working holiday visa programme grew by 14.1%, meaning that, as of 31st December, 2011, there were 130,612 working holiday visa holders in Australia (first and second year visa holders combined). On that number, the report said: “This figure marks a continued healthy growth of the program following the uncharacteristic decline in visa grants experienced in 2009-10, noting that with the exception of 2009-10, the program has steadily grown each year for the last decade. Programme growth is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, but to an extent this will be partly contingent upon the wider global economic situation.” On the growth, YHA Ltd CEO Julian Ledger also added: “The increase in first year working holiday visas issued has come about through the good work of Tourism Australia and the more active state tourism organisations combined with the industry in marketing the working holiday opportunity. This has contributed to increasing the awareness of work opportunities in Oz as compared with home.” The work and holiday visa programme also grew by 1.7% in the last six months of 2011, with the biggest gains coming from Indonesia (43.9) and Chile (25.4%). Work and holiday arrangements with Argentina (capped at 500) and Papua New Guinea (capped at 100) are both expected to come into effect within the next few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 i've noticed quite a lot of people around here are starting to go on them, thats been 5 people from my year at school that have went over recently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 woohoo, a bunch of backpackers with just enough money to scrape by are visiting australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 It was reported on our local news two days ago that there is a push to make the WHV a two year visa to help the tourist industry find staff to work during the holiday seasons and the sugar plantations at other times. Also relaxing the rules on how long they can work for an single emplyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theonetruechris Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I think the point is tourism expects you to bring money and spend it into the country whereas working holiday visa's are more about having a little to square you up till you get a job which is probably & of no real gain to the economy as most of the money spent here is earnt here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Tourism needs the people on the whv to work during the holiday season to enable bars, clubs and cafes to open and function propery, The area I live in would have no tourists if the WHV did not exists as no one would be working in the bars ect. The seasonal work carried out by the people on WHV is also a vital part of the community. without WHV not a lot of crops would be collected. The WHV is vital to the economy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Some facts & figures about how much is spent by Working Holiday Makers in Australia and how the proposed visa changes would benefit the regional economies @ https://www.atec.net.au/whv_impact_130212_final.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The original concept of the WHV does appear to have changed rather dramaticly over time.It was to originally designed to allow the person the work up to three months in a job, in a particular area to supliment their funds while touring Australia. It now seems to becoming more a defacto working visa,(Guest Workers)with people employed in areas increasingly in competition to local workers. The social/community area seems to have become increasingly keen on such folk in recent times. There is a very busy Italian resturant close to where I live that employs italians for long stints, I guess up to a year. Although they are the main stay for fruit picking a number of growers find them far from ideal. With the introduction of pacific short term employment visa for folk from the island nations now in place there is every chance those numbers will increase over time, displacing backpacker numbers from that area. A better solution all round as out island neighbouring countries badly need sources for their people to earn incomes. On the other side it is very pleasant not to say refreshing to be able to go to some resturants or bars and actually have a natter with a young person from Belguim, France or Germany, who have often something of interest to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 woohoo, a bunch of backpackers with just enough money to scrape by are visiting australia? Oii :mad: are yous not all looking foward to me coming? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Tourism needs the people on the whv to work during the holiday season to enable bars, clubs and cafes to open and function propery, The area I live in would have no tourists if the WHV did not exists as no one would be working in the bars ect. The seasonal work carried out by the people on WHV is also a vital part of the community. without WHV not a lot of crops would be collected. The WHV is vital to the economy least someone is going to welcome me.. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Oii :mad: are yous not all looking foward to me coming? lol Oh don't get me wrong, I think backpacking's great, but it's not exactly bringing huge amounts of money to the economy compared to other types of tourism. It does amuse me that people are quite happy to go fruit picking in another country, but wouldn't dream of doing it at home if they need money. So the polish pick the british apples, the brits pick the australian fruit, the australians pick US fruit, etc etc. Guess it works out overall... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 i actually applied for a UK fruitpicking job last week lol it was in amongst all the hotel jobs i applied for. Yeah i understand what you mean, backpackers dont bring much money with them and then they're earning money over there. I was only joking :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Taken from the "Australian Tourism Export Council" Media release. $2.3 billion dollars already being spent by Working Holiday Makers in Australia, particularly in regional areas that need this boost the most. Not exactly chicken feed when this is all ploughed back into the economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Srp, most of that money is being earned here though, so it's not a net gain to Australia like other tourist dollars are, and it is a pittance compared to the amounts earnt and spent by people on temporary work visas who in general command much higher salaries. The main appeal of working holiday people, is that they'll hopefully return as skilled migrants or richer tourists in the future, and they'll also spread the work of how great Australia is to other people who then might in turn consider coming here as tourists/skilled migrants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I would expect it all to be earned in Australia, but the point is that most of it is spent in the rural areas, This is the money that helps to keep small business and shops trading in the rural and outback areas where they cannot expect large crowds to go shopping or buy goods. In the grand scale of things its not a fantastic amount, to some of the rural communities it can be a life saver. I know a lot spend their time in the cities, but without the backpackers who work out in the bush and rural areas there would be dire consequences for these areas. its not exactly a net gain for the country, but could It suppose be described as a redistribution of existing wealth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I'm planning on working in more rural places for most of the time, I know a lot of people like to spend most of their time in sydney and other cities but doesnt really appeal to me as much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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