Australian working holiday makers likely to increase

According to Martin Lane, publisher of thumbrella.com.au, the backpacker website, Australian backpacker industry had faced a tough winter last year. But, it is showing all signs of making a comeback and that too with a big bang, added Lane.

As per the figures revealed by Australian tourism industry, the Australian backpacker industry was affected by global financial crisis way back in September 2008. This affected travelling plans of several potential travelers in the US and Europe making plans to visit and travel to Australia.

UK happens to be the biggest backpacker industry of Australia and it has been badly affected by happenings in the past. The number of backpackers visiting Australia last year was 591,000 and out of these, number of British travelers was 128,000.

A large number of British youth lost their jobs in the months of August and September last year and this is exactly the time when majority of young Brits plan their travel to overseas countries. generally, majority of British travelers come to Australia on Australian working holiday visas in the month of April and work there for a few months so as to finance their travel to other nations in the coming months.

Matt Hingerty, Chief Executive of the Australian Tourism Export Council, stated that the working holiday makers and backpackers continued with their travel plans since the traveling airfares had touched a new bottom due to global economic slowdown. However, it was only during the ending period of the global slowdown that the number of backpackers reduced significantly.

Meanwhile, Hingerty expressed his optimism about the much expected increase in the number of backpackers coming to Australia to travel and work in Australia in the coming times, especially towards the second half of the year.

Earlier, working holiday makers coming to Australia were proved to be a good source of labor for seasonal jobs in Australia and helped significantly the nation’s economy. They did all sorts of odd jobs in Australia including fruit and vegetable picking, restaurant jobs etc., including jobs that the Australian citizens were reluctant to take up.

The Australian backpacker industry must connect the backpackers to the existing jobs in Australia so that they can come to Australia and live here for a longer period, Lane stated.