Forty years after a scheme to tempt British people to move to Australia ended, young UK globetrotters are being lured by a deal that claims to replicate the days of “Ten Pound Pom” emigrants.
Two hundred applicants for working holidays in South Australia will get return flights to the state capital, Adelaide, for £10.
But terms and conditions apply – and the necessary financial investment will be many times higher.
Australia, in common with many other countries, is suffering from a labour shortage. Traditionally many jobs in tourism and agriculture have been carried out by working holidaymakers, for whom special visas are available.
But with the government in Canberra closing borders for almost two years during the coronavirus pandemic, the supply of labour has dried up.
Most backpackers focus on Sydney and Melbourne and their respective states of New South Wales and Victoria. South Australia believes it can tempt them away with a subsidised travel deal.
The South Australian Tourism Commission has teamed up with Trailfinders and Qatar Airways to offer return flights at £10 to people aged 18-35 who are fastest with their online applications at a yet-to-be-confirmed moment.
They must first register their interest with Trailfinders within the next 10 days or so. The firm will then message applicants to tell them to apply.
“The first 200 on the day to fill out their form confirming they have a working holiday visa will get a call back,” said a spokesperson for the tourism authority.
But successful applicants must also pay hundreds of pounds for a working holiday visa – which costs $495 (£280) online or £370 through Trailfinders.
They must also buy a “starter pack”, price £162, which includes three nights of “sociable” hostel accommodation on arrival, as well as access to support with job advice, setting up a bank account and obtaining a tax file number.
The state’s tourism minister, Zoe Bettison, said: “South Australia is welcoming the return of working holidaymakers – it’s a real win-win for young people eager to travel and work abroad, and for our local tourism industry.
“Our tourism operators have missed having international visitors on their tours and experiences, and booking up accommodation, and they’ve also missed the backpacker workforce and the vibrancy they bring.
“These backpackers foster a love for our state and our country which often inspires them to return later in life.”
After the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of British emigrants took advantage of the “Assisted Passage Migration Scheme” which offered one-way tickets by sea or air to Australia for £10. The system ended in the early 1970s.
Travel under the new scheme must take place by 30 September this year.
