The Covid travel ban has earned the country the nickname “Fortress Australia”. (File)
Canberra:
Australia opened its international borders to all vaccinated travelers on Monday, nearly two years after the island nation first imposed some of the world’s strictest Covid-19 travel restrictions.
“The wait is over,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference on Sunday ahead of the reopening.
“Pack your bags,” he tells potential guests, adding, “Don’t forget to bring your money, because you’ll find plenty of places to spend it.”
The first flight to Sydney Airport will arrive from Los Angeles at 6am (1900 GMT), followed by flights from Tokyo, Vancouver and Singapore.
Only 56 international flights are expected to land in Australia in the 24 hours after reopening – much lower than pre-pandemic levels – but Morrison said he had “no doubt” that the number will increase in time.
‘Fort Australia’
Australia closed its borders to almost everyone except citizens and residents in March 2020 in an attempt to slow the rapidly increasing number of Covid-19 cases.
The travel ban – which also bans citizens from traveling abroad without immunity and imposes strict limits on international visitors – has earned the country the nickname “Fortress Australia”.
According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, each month under these policies costs businesses around A$3.6 billion (US$2.6 billion), with tourism particularly affected. serious.
Tony Walker, chief executive officer of Quicksilver Group, which operates cruises, diving excursions and resorts on the Great Barrier Reef, told AFP he was “excited about being able to reopen”.
International tourists “make up about 70 percent” of the reef tourism operators’ business, says Walker, making it “extremely difficult” to close the border for two years.
During the pandemic, his company had to cut staff from 650 people to 300 people as it is today.
Morrison on Sunday said tourism had “really taken the brunt of this Covid pandemic” and he thanked the sector.
“It’s tough, but Australia is getting through it,” he added.
There is no west
Western Australia will not reopen to international tourists on Monday, until March 3.
Until recently, the state has pursued a strict Covid-zero policy, setting itself apart from the rest of Australia.
The decision sparked lawsuits – and comments that it was easier for Australians to get to Paris than Perth – but proved popular among Western Australians.
Announcing the reopening date for travelers who have had three vaccinations, State Premier Mark McGowan said “there’s a point where the border is redundant, because we’ve had an increase in infections.” case here”.
Morrison welcomed the reopening of Western Australia and defended Australia’s decision to close Australia’s borders to the world for two years.
He said it was “extremely important and that has helped us achieve in this country what few other people in the world can do. We have one of the low Covid mortality rates. best in the world.”
While the Australian government has launched a A$40 million advertising campaign to lure returning tourists, the Australian Tourism Export Council warned this week that “there are encouraging signs”. Concerned as consumers are wary of traveling here and confused about our various travel restrictions and concerns about the fast closing of the border.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
