From tourists to essential workers: The multifaceted presence of backpackers in rural Queensland, Australia

Although there is notable scholarship on backpackers and their part in tourism cultures, there has been little reflection on their status as long term essential workers in rural areas and what this means for the communities who receive them. We address this gap by investigating the evolution of Australia's Working Holiday Maker program and how it has shaped the presence of backpackers in farming communities. Contemporary backpacking in Australia now involves a culturally and ethnically diverse cohort, which has become essential for farming communities' economic and cultural livelihoods. We argue that the ongoing modifications to the visa program have transformed the presence of backpackers in farming towns, from highly transient tourists to essential workers who may stay for longer periods as temporary migrants, and this has transformed the people and places that host them. Through the lens of mobilities, we outline useful lessons and insights from this example of a backpacker visa, which are relevant for future research and debates around rural livelihoods, labour migration, and farming communities. •Australia's Working Holiday Maker visa has evolved into an essential labour source for many farming communities.•Backpackers on the Working Holiday Maker visa have transformed from tourists to seasonal workers that have an ongoing presence in communities.•Pandemic interruptions to migration and labour have shifted rural communities attitudes towards backpackers.