Across regional Queensland, tourism and hospitality businesses continue to face workforce challenges that impact their ability to meet visitor demand, grow their businesses and deliver exceptional visitor experiences.

For the Bundaberg region, one of the most significant barriers remains the current Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa settings for tourism and hospitality employment.

Bundaberg Tourism is supporting ongoing industry advocacy led by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) to ensure the Australian Government’s specified work settings better reflect the workforce realities facing regional tourism destinations.

A Regional Workforce Challenge

The Bundaberg region is home to a thriving visitor economy, welcoming travellers seeking experiences across the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Mon Repos, Bundaberg Rum, agritourism attractions, nature-based experiences, regional events and our coastal communities.

Like many regional destinations, tourism businesses rely on access to a diverse workforce to operate accommodation, hospitality venues, visitor attractions, tours and experiences.

At the same time, Bundaberg is already recognised nationally as a major Working Holiday Maker destination, particularly through its agricultural sector. Thousands of backpackers and seasonal workers live and work in the region each year.

However, while agricultural work in the region can contribute towards a WHM visa extension, tourism and hospitality work in many parts of the Bundaberg region does not currently provide the same benefit. As a result, many workers choose to relocate to eligible destinations to continue progressing their visa requirements rather than remaining in local tourism and hospitality roles.

What Local Operators Told Us

In 2025, Bundaberg Tourism undertook an industry survey to better understand the impact of the current settings on local businesses.

The results were clear:

• 88% of respondents reported workforce shortages during the previous 12 months.
• 82% currently employ Working Holiday Makers. 
• 70% reported losing potential or existing staff because local tourism and hospitality work did not contribute towards visa extension requirements. 
• 94% believed inclusion of Bundaberg’s postcode in the eligible tourism and hospitality work program would benefit their business.

Operators reported a range of impacts, including reduced trading hours, difficulties accepting bookings during peak periods, increased staff turnover, workforce stress and lost revenue opportunities. 

Many businesses also highlighted the frustration of investing time and resources into training employees, only to lose them when they needed to relocate to another destination where their work would count towards a second or third visa. 

Why It Matters

This is about more than workforce numbers.

A sustainable tourism workforce supports business growth, visitor satisfaction, regional economic development and community wellbeing.

When tourism businesses cannot fully staff their operations, the effects can be felt throughout the visitor economy. Accommodation providers may be unable to service rooms quickly enough, tour operators may limit departures, hospitality venues may reduce opening hours, and visitor experiences can become constrained during peak periods. 

The Bundaberg region already provides the lifestyle, community and employment opportunities that many Working Holiday Makers are seeking. The opportunity is to ensure tourism and hospitality businesses can compete on a level playing field with other eligible regional destinations.

Help Us Build the Case for Change

Our 2025 survey confirmed what many local operators already knew: workforce shortages continue to place pressure on tourism and hospitality businesses across the Bundaberg region.

Now, QTIC is taking those concerns directly to the Federal Government and is seeking additional evidence from operators across Queensland.

If your business has:

• Struggled to fill tourism or hospitality roles;
• Lost staff because they needed to relocate to an eligible postcode to secure visa extension days;
• Reduced operating hours, capacity or services due to workforce shortages; or
• Experienced delays or challenges associated with Working Holiday Maker visas,

We encourage you to share your experience with QTIC.

Real stories from regional operators are critical to demonstrating the practical impacts of current visa settings and helping secure policy changes that support Queensland’s tourism workforce.  The more evidence we can provide, the stronger the case for ensuring regional destinations like Bundaberg have access to the workforce they need to thrive.