Western Australia: working holiday less certain but backpackers keep on coming

Less backpacker work available in Western Australia, but hostels still full:

Perth jobs in hospitality for backpackers had declined rapidly.

“They’re getting quite desperate,” he said. “You see the same kids coming in day after day. There’s very little work to give them. The work has dried up.”

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“Normally there is a quicker turnover,” she said. “There are a lot more people looking for work.”

Despite the caution on the jobs front, Perth hostels have not reported a drop in the number of backpackers arriving.

“There seems to be slightly fewer people from Europe, but it’s not much,” Comfort Hostel manageress Ollie Bidois said.

Jay Long, a manager at Sundancer Backpackers, Fremantle, said: “Last year at this time we were turning away 20 or 30 people a day and this year it’s maybe 10 or 15. But we’re still full.”

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Only turning away 10 to 15 backpackers a day? Sounds like business is great :D