The Migration Strategy, released yesterday by the Federal Government, will evaluate Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas following calls for backpacker visas to be limited to one year. Tourism Council WA is calling on the Federal Government to ensure backpackers can stay for more than a year, so they have time to travel to Perth and regional WA.
Under the Migration Strategy, WHM visas will be evaluated for the “88-day, 179-day and specified work requirement” that enables visas to be extended for a second and third year. This evaluation is in response to the recommendation of the Migration Review that WHM visas be limited to one year.
Tourism Council WA CEO Evan Hall said most backpackers started on the east coast and would not make it to WA on a one-year visa, which would devastate the number of international visitors to Perth and regional WA.
“Backpackers are first and foremost tourists, who work as they travel so they can afford to stay longer and travel wider in Australia,” Mr Hall said.
“A one-year cap would limit backpackers’ ability to travel to WA and work across seasonal tourism towns such as Exmouth, Broome and Margaret River.”
A recent Tourism Council WA online survey of 800 Western Australians showed 79 per cent agreed backpackers were an important source of visitors and workers for WA businesses and regions.
“We are still down 40% on international visitors compared to pre-COVID – we cannot afford to turn away international backpackers as well,” Mr Hall said.
“It is critical that backpackers can travel for more than a year in Australia and can work in tourism and hospitality in towns such as Broome.
“Backpackers shouldn’t be forced into jobs in horticulture to stay for more than a year. If we can offer longer visas and work in regional tourism, we will attract more backpackers who will have a better holiday experience.
“Capping backpackers to Exmouth during whale shark season does nothing to help manage Melbourne and Sydney’s population problems.
“There is a concern that there won’t be enough backpackers remaining to service visitors in regional WA during peak periods.”
Mr Hall said WA was more reliant than other States on the backpacker workforce during busy periods due to regional destinations being geographically dispersed and highly seasonal.
“Backpackers are essential to WA’s tourism workforce, as they are keen to move to WA tourism towns in peak seasons to work and experience what WA has to offer. They fill vacancies, serve Western Australians turning up for a holiday and provide respite to operators who would otherwise work for months on end without a break,” he said.
