How Working Holiday Makers Can Transform Your Tourism Business
I've spent years watching tourism operators struggle with the same staffing challenge: how to maintain stellar service during peak season without breaking the bank or making long-term hiring commitments you can't sustain.
The answer?
Working Holiday Makers have been right in front of us the whole time and many operators aren't using them strategically.
If you're running tours, accommodation, hospitality, or any visitor-facing operation, WHMs aren't just a backup plan. They're a legitimate growth lever that can improve your guest experience, boost your reviews, and give you the operational flexibility you desperately need.
Let me show you how.
What You Need to Know About the WHM Program
Australia's Working Holiday Maker program lets young adults (18–30, or up to 35 from certain partner countries) work and travel here for up to 12 months. There are two visa options:
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) – available to citizens of over 40 countries
Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) – available to citizens of specific countries
For tourism and hospitality, these visas are perfect for seasonal peaks because they're inherently short-term.
You get genuine, motivated workers without the overhead of permanent staff during slower months.
For the full details, check the Department of Home Affairs Working Holiday Maker information.
Why This Actually Works
Over the years, I've noticed a pattern with the most successful tourism businesses: they've figured out that WHMs aren't just filling shifts. They're changing the quality of what you deliver.
Real flexibility without the guilt. WHMs come to Australia wanting short-term work. You're not asking them to commit long-term; they're not expecting permanent roles. This alignment is powerful. You can scale up for peak season and dial back without awkward conversations.
Cultural diversity that guests genuinely appreciate. I once visited a reef tour operator where the check-in counter was staffed by a WHM fluent in Japanese. Japanese tourists immediately felt seen and heard. That's not a small thing, that is the difference between a good experience and an exceptional one. Guests talk about that stuff. They leave positive reviews about it. They book again because of it.
Better margins when you structure it right. Many WHMs are open to packages that include accommodation and meals. In regional and remote areas especially, this is a win-win. They solve their housing challenge; you reduce cash wages while attracting genuinely enthusiastic staff.
Getting Your Recruitment Right
This is where most operators drop the ball. They post a generic ad on Seek and wonder why they get no applications from WHMs. You have to meet them where they are.
Post on the platforms WHMs actually use:
Seek (use keywords like "accommodation provided")
Local Facebook backpacker job groups in your region
Write job ads that actually speak to them. Don't just list duties. Paint the picture. What's nearby? What will they experience? Are there staff housing, discounted tours, or pathways to training? WHMs aren't just looking for income, they're looking for an experience. Your ad should reflect that.
Example: "Join our team at a beachfront resort near Byron Bay. Roles include front desk and housekeeping. We provide shared staff accommodation, free meals, staff discounts on tours, and RSA training. Work for 6 months (or longer!) and help us deliver magic to our guests."
Make onboarding quick but thorough. A welcome pack with local guides, a workplace tour, and role-specific training videos take a day to put together but show new staff you care. That investment comes back to you in better engagement and longer tenure.
The Compliance Side (so you get it right)
I won't sugarcoat it, there are rules you need to follow.
But they're not complicated if you know what they are.
Visa conditions: WHMs can't work for the same employer for more than six months unless they apply for an extension. This isn't a trap, it's just a parameter you work within. Check the Department of Home Affairs visa conditions for specifics.
Fair work rights: Here's the thing: WHMs have exactly the same employment rights as Australian citizens. Minimum wage, reasonable hours, safe working conditions, the lot. The Fair Work Ombudsman has specific guidance on WHMs, and I encourage you to familiarise yourself with it.
Tax and superannuation: WHMs are taxed at a flat 15% up to $45,000, and you need to withhold it. You also need to pay superannuation contributions. The Australian Tax Office has clear WHM tax information here. Register with them as an employer of WHMs, and you're sorted.
Getting this right isn't optional, it is essential. But honestly, when you treat WHMs fairly and transparently, they respond with better work and longer tenure.
Creating a Great WHM Experience
The businesses I've seen win with WHMs aren't just hiring them, they're genuinely investing in them.
Accommodation matters, especially in regional areas. If you're in Darwin, Broome, or the NSW north coast, finding housing is genuinely tough for travellers. Offering subsidised or included accommodation isn't charity; it's practical talent strategy. It also means your staff can actually get to work.
Build culture, not just a roster. Run team BBQs. Take your staff on a local tour so they see what you're promoting to guests. Language exchange nights build camaraderie and give international staff chances to practice. These are not expenses, they are investments in morale and retention.
Offer skill-building opportunities. Many WHMs view their stint in Australia as a stepping stone. Offering barista training, tour guide certification, or RSA courses doesn't cost much and makes a genuine difference to their career trajectory. They remember that.
What Actually Happens When You Get This Right
Let me share three real examples from operators I've worked with.
A coastal resort in Queensland started offering free staff accommodation and meals alongside structured training. Within one season, they attracted multilingual staff from six countries.
Their guest reviews jumped 20%. Repeat bookings increased noticeably.
Why? Because guests weren't just having good experiences, they were having meaningful interactions with staff who understood their culture and could communicate in their language.
An adventure tour company in the Northern Territory shifted to hiring WHMs as assistant guides. This gave them the capacity to run cultural tours with authentic linguistic and cultural diversity. Revenue grew 15% in a year, driven almost entirely by referrals and strong guest satisfaction scores. The guides felt invested. Guests felt the difference.
A boutique hotel in Sydney’s inner west strategically used WHMs for front desk and housekeeping during events and peak season. Comprehensive onboarding and regular team-building activities kept morale high. They saw better occupancy rates, fewer guest complaints, and genuinely happier staff. The domino effect: better profitability.
None of these are luck.
They're the result of treating WHMs as a strategic asset, not a backup plan.
The Bottom Line
If you're serious about improving your guest experience and building operational flexibility, Working Holiday Makers deserve a place in your workforce strategy.
The best part? You're not competing with other tourism operators for this talent pool as most aren't even looking there yet.
Get your recruitment messaging right. Treat your WHMs fairly. Invest in their experience. Watch what happens to your reviews, your occupancy, and your bottom line.
Ready to build a strategic WHM recruitment plan tailored to your business?
I work with tourism operators to design recruitment pipelines, onboarding frameworks, and retention strategies that actually work. Let's chat about what's possible for your operation.
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