kabarsula ‘Nobody wants to cancel Christmas’: Queensland tourism warns of summer holiday chaos bandar SLOT INDONESIA

Queensland tourism operators could be forced to cut opening hours, cancel tours and turn away holidaymakers this Christmas as uncertainty over working holiday visas threatens staffing during the peak summer season.

With just 44 days until the summer school holidays, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) has warned that businesses are preparing Christmas rosters without knowing whether the Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) they rely on can stay in Australia.

Tourism Research Australia data analysed by QTIC shows working holiday visitor numbers across Australia have increased by 34 per cent since 2019, while Queensland has recorded growth of just 3.5 per cent.

Tropical North Queensland has experienced a 16 per cent decline, while Queensland’s share of Australia’s working holiday visitors has fallen from 50 per cent to around 39 per cent.

QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler warned that staffing shortages could have serious consequences for tourism businesses during their busiest trading period.

“Nobody wants to cancel Christmas. But when a business can’t find staff, that’s what it starts to look like: shorter opening hours, fewer tours running and families turned away at the door,” Wheeler said.

“Summer is when a lot of Queensland small businesses earn the money that carries them through quieter months.”

Industry calls for visa reform

QTIC and Queensland’s regional tourism organisations are urging the Federal Government to reconsider proposed caps and ballots for second and third-year working holiday visas.

The organisations have proposed increasing the regional work requirement for a second-year visa from 88 to 120 days in exchange for a guaranteed second year.

They are also calling for a 14-day processing target for straightforward regional visa applications, continued working rights while applications are processed and protections for travellers who have already commenced their regional work.

“We’re prepared to ask more of travellers, as long as they get certainty in return,” Wheeler said.

“Every week without an answer is another week travellers spend choosing someone else for their working holiday.”