Luxury Escapes opened applications on Sunday for its first-ever Travel Tester, a paid mystery-shopper style job worth about $50,000 that sends one Australian and a guest on luxury trips with every expense covered.

The winner will be flown to destinations including the Maldives and Sri Lanka, along with two luxury Australian escapes, and will be asked to test flights, accommodation and tours before sharing honest reviews and creating content for Luxury Escapes’ social channels.

The search is live now, which is why Australians scanning for 7news updates on travel jobs and money-can’t-buy prizes are suddenly paying attention. The role turns the company’s customer-review process into a public competition, with applications now open to anyone who thinks they can turn a holiday into work.

Adam Schwab, the company’s chief executive, said the offer was meant to feel like a fantasy. “Five-star luxury, not paying a cent. I’ve always wanted to be Willy Wonka and this is our chance,” he said. Schwab also said Luxury Escapes does not necessarily want a seasoned traveller, even though the job is built around judging premium flights, hotels and tours.

Instead, he said the company is looking for someone who is curious, communicates well and understands what customers want. That matters because the role is not simply a free holiday. The successful applicant will be trained in content creation before setting off, then expected to turn the trip into material for the company’s social channels and an honest assessment of what works and what does not.

The opening also lands at a time when domestic travel still carries real weight in Australia. Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said local destinations remain a major drawcard, adding that the overwhelming reason for travelling here is that Australia is the best location in the world.

For Adam Schwab, the pitch is part childhood dream, part marketing gamble. For everyone else, the unanswered question is how many people will want to apply for a job that pays in luxury and whether the company will announce the winner before the interest swells any further.