I’LL BRING BACK POMS WITH MY POMPOMS
Meet our secret weapon to repair damage from the backpacker tax
AFTER its controversial backpacker tax scared off holidaymakers, the Federal Government has hired sexy UK reality TV star Lucy Watson to lure them back.
Ms Watson, who starred in the top-rating Made In Chel
sea, will appear alongside Trade Minister Steve Ciobo on a pop-up beach in London on Tuesday to kick off the three- year, $10 million campaign.
The move follows a 3 per cent drop in the number of backpackers taking working holidays in Australia, partly blamed on the Government’s failed attempt to levy a 32.5 per cent backpacker tax in the May Budget.
With the proposal now amended to see tax capped at 19¢ through Tourism Australia, has moved to get the young tourists back.
Mr Ciobo said the UK was Australia’s largest market for working holiday-makers but Irish, French, German and Italian backpackers will also be targeted in the campaign.
He said the changes to the backpacker working holiday arrangements, including raising the age limit from 30 to 35, and reducing the cost of applying for a visa, would make Australia a world-leading destination for backpackers.
“Conditions are now ripe for a backpacker boost,’’ he said.
“We want to make sure they know there’s a sunny sky and blue beach awaiting them in Australia.”
Watson said she always had “incredible experiences’’ whenever she visited Australia.
The bid to raise the tax split the Coalition, with the Nationals campaigning against it over fears farmers could not find enough backpackers to harvest crops or for tourism ventures.