ATEC brands campaign a ‚Äúlost opportunity”
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has renewed calls for the government to amend Working Holiday Visas, insisting that Tourism Australia's new youth program cannot achieve its full potential without reform.
ATEC managing director Felicia Mariani welcomed Tourism Australia's $4m international campaign as a "great acknowledgement" of the value of younger travellers generate for Australian tourism.
Noting that youth tourism was a burgeoning market, she said the campaign would provide a critical boost to inbound visitation and significantly drive economic value for Australia.
But with changes yet to be made to Working Holiday Visas (WHV), Mariani said Tourism Australia's program was likely to fall short because of current visa limitations and branded it a "lost opportunity".
"We are disappointed that, as yet, the government has not moved on this issue. Today's announcement is a lost opportunity to connect this campaign with amendments we know would drive even greater international visitation from the youth sector," she said.
Outlined in a submission to the federal government last year, ATEC is calling for employment opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sector to be extended, visa costs to be reduced and the qualifying age be increased to 35 years.
With the government yet to take action on any such changes, Mariani said initiatives such as Tourism Australia's were lost.
"Now is the time to put the impetus behind this significant marketing spend but unfortunately we have missed a golden opportunity to make this a thoroughly successful campaign," she said.
ATEC will continue to advocate for changes to working holiday visas with the hope of driving inbound visitor numbers to Australia and curtailing labour shortages.
"Right here, today, the Australian tourism industry has more than 36,000 job vacancies across the country and that figure is expected to rise to 56,000 in the next two years. We must find both long and short term solutions and the WHV visitor is well placed to help us plug this immediate shortfall," Mariani concluded.
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