Australia’s border will reopen tomorrow for fully vaccinated tourists and all visa holders, following an announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison two weeks ago.
The announcement follows almost two years of closed borders in the country and an estimated loss in tourism revenues of tens of billions of dollars. Operators are now counting on a steady increase of capacity by airlines to facilitate a bounce back.
Booking interest soaring
Naveen Dittakavi, the founder of Next Vacay, an online tool used for searching flight deals, has said interest in the country has since boomed.
“Searches for ‘Australia borders open’ have increased by 1,900% in the U.S., while searches for ‘Australia open to tourists’ increased by 1,750% since the announcement of the reopening of the Australian border to international tourists.”
Whilst immediate family members of Australians have been allowed to visit the country since November 2021, restrictions for those who fall outside this category have been notoriously strict. However Mr Morrison announced that “if you’re double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back.”
He went on to reference the recent Novak Djokovic fiasco, saying “events earlier in the year should have sent a very clear message to everyone around the world” that the country requires visitors to be fully vaccinated – “That’s the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it.”
Cities remain relatively quiet
Visitors who pounce on the opportunity to travel to Australia soon can expect a less busy experience than they may have otherwise experienced before the pandemic. Sydney’s business district, home to its iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge, is reported to remain quiet as workers continue to opt for home-based working.
Western Australia remains closed to both the world and the rest of the country after delaying its domestic border reopening in late January, but has since announced it expects to follow the rest of the country and open its borders on Tuesday 3rd March.
With a total pandemic death toll of 4,248, there is little doubt that Australia’s severe immigration policy was a success in its mission to protect the lives of its citizens. Still, the overall impact on the economy and the speed of its bounce back is yet to be seen.
Are you hoping to take advantage of Australia’s reopened borders? Let us know in the comments below.
