Cash incentives of AUD$1,500 along with a $250 travel allowance and housing assistance are being offered by the Queensland government to encourage unemployed Australians to move to the state and seek out jobs in the regional tourism industry.
Announced this week by Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, the new ‘Work in Paradise’ is an AUD$7.5 million campaign designed to address the critical shortage of workers in the state’s regional tourism sector, with similar situations being experienced in many parts of the country.
“From chefs, waiters and bartenders through to tour guides and deckhands on the Great Barrier Reef, there are plenty of great jobs up for grabs,” Premier Palaszczuk said.
Coupled with the Queensland Government’s ‘Good To Go’ and ‘Holiday Dollars’ campaigns coinciding with the winter months, Australians have been flocking to tourist hotspots in North Queensland to find businesses desperately understaffed and operating at lower capacity.
“Thanks to the way Queenslanders have responded to the pandemic, our economy has started to rebuild,” the Premier said.
“But right across regional Queensland, there is strong demand for workers.
“Work in Paradise will bring people from across Australia and the state to join Team Queensland to help this critical industry do what they love to do best – give people a great holiday in our great state.”
Queensland Tourism Minister, Stirling Hinchcliffe, said the demand from domestic visitors and ongoing closure of the international border meant tourism operators needed domestic workers to deliver world-class experiences.
“In addition to the $1,500 cash incentive for jobseekers to relocate for employment in the tourism industry, we’re also offering a $250 travel bonus to help workers to travel there,” Minister Hinchcliffe said.
“We know there are accommodation shortages in some regions but we’re working with industry to help workers find an affordable place to call home.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to work, live and play in some of Queensland’s great holiday destinations.”
Member for Cairns and Assistant Tourism Minister, Michael Healy, added that while the program will connect job-seekers with available positions, efforts would be made to help workers discover a long-term career in the tourism industry.
The Work in Paradise incentive program begins on July 1.