Tourism Australia hiring for the six 'Best Jobs in the World'

Queensland’s famous Best Job in the World campaign has been dusted off for a “bigger and better” $4m nation-wide Tourism Australia push.

Instead of one dream job there are now six ‘Best Jobs in the World’ featuring contracts worth $100,000 up for grabs as Tourism Australia (TA) sets out to woo 18-30 year olds and promote the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program.

Last year, the youth market boosted tourism spending by almost $12bn and WHM travellers contributed $2.5bn to Australia’s economy.

Andrew McEvoy, managing director of TA, said: “The youth market contributes more than a quarter of all Australia's international arrivals. These are visitors who tend to stay longer, disperse widely and often come back again, with their families, later in their lives.”

“For many young people, Australia’s working holiday visa programs provide the economic means to fund travel plans, and this is at the heart of our new campaign.”

"We've taken one of the most successful tourism campaigns in recent times – "Best Job in the World" – and made it bigger and better by coming up with a competition which represents the very best of our country – our breath-taking landscapes and scenery, our unique nature and wildlife, great food and wine and, of course, our huge sense of fun.”

Winner of the 2009 Tourism Queensland campaign, Ben Southall, was revealed as the star of the new international marketing push, which is bringing together six state and territory tourism partners, at the launch in Cairns today.

Southall, who became the Island Caretaker of Hamilton Island, teases the six jobs in a video which is set to be pushed globally.

The placements include chief funster, outback adventurer, park ranger, wildlife caretaker, lifestyle photographer and taste master (see below for more information).

A strong social media focus will be coupled with extensive media, PR and targeted electronic direct marketing in the campaign created by DDB, OMD, and Pixolut.

Digital ‘job boards’ advertising temporary jobs within the local tourism industry will be display on partner websites including Virgin Australia, STA Travel, Citibank, DELL, IKEA, Sony Music and Monster.com.

Applications are open from today and close on April 10, with entrants to be whittled down to a shortlist of 150 by April 24 before 18 finalists are announced on May 15 and the six winners are crowned on June 21.

Winners will receive a six-month salary package, including all accommodation, food and expenses, worth $100,000.

The 2009 campaign attracted more than 34,000 video applications from 197 countries with the campaign estimated to have reached 3 billion people globally.

Angela Swayn, OMD global business director, said generating the same level of excitement the second time around is a challenge.

“Fortunately, for us Facebook wasn’t a big part of the 2009 Tourism Queensland campaign, so it has provided us a massive opportunity to make the campaign more social this time around,” Swayn said.

“Media across You Tube and Google will also allow us to effectively get key messages to youth globally and will complement the Facebook platform to ensure talkability is maximised.”

The new campaign is targeting those eligible for an Australian working holiday visa, including travellers from the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

The six ‘Best Jobs’:

1. Chief Funster, New South Wales: “Become a social media commentator and professional party-goer, planning, attending and reviewing the coolest gigs, parties and VIP events in Sydney and around NSW.”
2. Lifestyle Photographer, Melbourne: “Style photo shoots, experience hidden secrets and share trends in one of Australia’s most visual and cultural cities, Melbourne.”
3. Outback Adventurer, the Northern Territory: “It’ll be your job to uncover the best adventures and experiences in the Australian Outback. You’ll sleep under the stars in a bush camp, immerse yourself in indigenous culture and taste traditional bush foods.”
4. Park Ranger, Queensland: “As Park Ranger you will be responsible for protecting and promoting native plants and animals, rainforest walks, spectacular waterfalls, untouched beaches, dinosaur fossils, indigenous culture and marine life.”
5. Wildlife Caretaker, South Australia: “Look after Australia’s native wildlife, care for koalas, talk to wallabies, sunbake with seals, feed echidnas and mother penguins, all while keeping visitors informed about the remarkable Kangaroo Island.”
6. Taste Master, Western Australia: “Sample the finest fare and wine, tour the best restaurants, wineries, pubs and lobster eateries, while also heading off the beaten path to catch some of the freshest seafood on Australia’s undiscovered coastline.”

For more information and to enter visit the Facebook page here or the website here.