Backpackers are valuable visitors and workers. They fill critical workforce gaps, particularly during regional peak seasons, while travelling and spending in communities across Australia.
Reported visa changes could reduce the number of backpackers coming to Australia or limit how long they can stay. This would mean fewer workers, fewer visitors and less spending in our communities.
Working Holiday Makers are temporary visitors. They come to travel and work, and they go home. Counting them alongside people migrating permanently to Australia distorts the migration figures and drives policy that damages the visitor economy without addressing the underlying issue.
NSW Tourism Association, together with the Australian Tourism Industry Council, is calling on the Australian Government to protect the backpacker visa program.
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The stronger the industry response, the harder it will be for government to overlook the impact of these changes.
