Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australia will open international borders to fully vaccinated travelers from the 21st of February this year. Prime Minister Morrison’s announcement has been received positively from a plethora of members of the Tourism industry across Australia:
“This is a truly momentous day for businesses big and small- it is they who will lead this country’s economic fightback, and there is no doubt this is an absolute game changer”
– Mr. James Kavanagh, Managing Director of Flight Centre
“This brings much needed certainty to airports, airlines, tourism operators, and everyone involved in the international visitation industry. … today is an extraordinary day for families and friends who have been apart throughout the pandemic, as they can now reunite on their own terms with their loved ones.”
– The Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC)
“Australian tourism businesses will rejoice in the news that our borders will reopen… with close to two years with our borders closed our industry has lost tens of billions of dollars in export revenue and we welcome the border reopening as an opportunity to regain some of Australia’s tourism market share.”
– Mr. Peter Shelley, Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC)
Visa holders hoping to enter the country will need to have received two doses of a vaccine recognized by the Therapeutic Goods Administration:
- AstraZeneca
- Pfizer/BioNTech
- Moderna
- Sinovac
- Bharat
- Sinopharm
- Sputnik
- Novavax
If not fully vaccinated, travelers must provide proof of medical exemption and undergo appropriate quarantine measures. “Our borders will be open from the 21st of February, and welcoming the world back to Australia,” Prime Minister Morrison said. “I know the tourism industry will be looking forward to that. It’s a sensible and, I think, very important move for us to make as we, as best as we possibly can this year, drive Australia back to a position of as much normality as we can achieve.”
