29 January 2009

Queensland's tourism ploy proves to be a hit

More than 2.3 million people have visited the Tourism Queensland website after they launched their "best job in the world" campaign, reports Travelmole.

The tourist board posted a vacant position for one lucky entrant to live on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef off the north coast of Australia, and enjoy the idyllic surroundings, the private villa and a luxury, beachfront lifestyle.  The only catch with the position is the "employee" must write a weekly blog to be posted on the internet. 

Since the campaign was launched, Queensland Tourism has received over ten thousand video applicants, with over 660 from the UK.  The most visitations to the site seem to be coming from the UK, US, Germany and Canada, and over 41,000 people have been referred through Facebook, a social networking site.

The organisers have even received applications from Mongolia, the Vatican City, and Kazakhstan.

The lucky applicant will be posted in Hamilton Island for six months, and if that person is a national other than from Australia or New Zealand, they will have to apply for an Australian holiday visa, unless Queensland Tourism sponsors them under the Australian skilled migration programme. 

---

The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with emigrating to Australia.