General News
9 August, 2022
UK working holiday maker on a winning trip to FNQ Cairns
WORKING on a Great Barrier Reef Island and meeting Tropical North Queensland’s wildlife is on the wish list for a UK woman who has won a first-class flight to Australia as part of a major campaign to attract working holiday makers to the destination.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland partnered with one of the world’s leading youth travel platforms, Global Work & Travel, to launch the ‘First Class to Paradise’ campaign. It aimed to encourage working holiday makers from the UK, Ireland and Europe to travel to Australia and be matched with a partner employer in the Cairns and surrounding region.
When told of her win by Zoom, Georgia burst into tears.
“Oh my god, that’s amazing - what a dream. I’m shaking. That has made my day. That’s the best news I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.
Georgia, a restaurant/bar supervisor who graduated from Warrington College in 2014 in Hospitality and Catering, has nine years of experience in the industry.
She is currently working at Las Ramblas Wine & Tapas in Warrington and looking to add to her resume in Tropical North Queensland for four to six months or longer.
She plans to arrive in Tropical North Queensland in November, after her first-class flight in a suite with Singapore Airlines, and explore the region’s major tourist attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest and the cosmopolitan city of Cairns.
“This still hasn’t really sunk in yet. It probably won’t hit me until I’m actually on the flight out to Australia,” Georgia said.
“When I was told I’d won on the Zoom call, I was totally surprised. My hair was all over the place, and I wasn’t prepared for anything, but I don’t really care. “I was so excited, and afterwards, I was crying for 10 minutes.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said he was looking forward to welcoming Georgia to Tropical North Queensland.
“Young travellers were an integral part of our workforce before the pandemic when they were enjoying being dive masters on the Great Barrier Reef, and bartenders in eco-lodges tucked away in the world’s oldest rainforest,” Mr Olsen said.
“We have had great engagement with this campaign which has really helped to put Tropical North Queensland on the map as a working holiday maker destination once again.”
Global Work and Travel CEO and Co-founder Jürgen Himmelmann said Tropical North Queensland is one of the most popular for their travellers, and for a good reason.
“This campaign will drive home the multitude of lifestyle benefits you can enjoy in this part of the world,” Mr Himmelmann said.
“We’re committed to doing all we can to help our partner employers with their staffing issues, and we feel privileged to be working with Tourism Tropical North Queensland on this important initiative.”
