A Briton lands the Best Job in the World
In total, 34,684 people applied for the Best Job in the World: island caretaker off the coast of Australia for a salary of AUD$25,000 a month (about CAD$22,000). After a first selection of 50 candidates, then 16 finalists, Britain’s Ben Southall, 34, won the highly coveted position on Wednesday. For six months, the young man will stay in a luxury villa, work on his suntan, snorkel and take pictures for a blog on his experiences.
Ben is not the only winner of this competition, however—the campaign itself attracted global attention. Launched by Tourism Queensland to promote tourism on the islands, it was first and foremost a huge marketing success. The gamble paid off, as images of the idyllic islands circled the globe and generated advertising spin-offs of AUD$110 million (CAD$96 million) via the website and sale of the TV show. A tidy haul, which Australian authorities say will be used primarily to fight pollution on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Best Job in the World
Ben Southall's application