Australia Reopens Its Borders to Vaccinated International Visitors

Starting 21st February, Australia will reopen its borders to vaccinated international visitors.

After two years of rigorous Covid-19 entry restrictions, Qantas plans to increase capacity.

In announcing the loosening of requirements for international travelers, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “If you’re double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back.”

He said those entering Australia when the borders fully reopened would need to provide proof of vaccination.

“That’s the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it,” Morrison added.

The decision was made because of the proliferation of the Omicron strain in Australia, which means overseas travelers are not at risk.

“The variant is here in Australia. And for those who are coming in who are double vaccinated, they don’t present any greater risk than those who are already here in Australia,” he added.

Vaccinated passengers visiting most Australian states need a negative PCR test three days before their trip – or a supervised quick test 24 hours before departure – to be free from any quarantine.

Unvaccinated travelers with a medical exemption will still need to apply for a travel exemption and, if approved, will be compelled to quarantine at a hotel.

Western Australia is anticipated to keep its entry limitations and 14-day quarantine rules in place, while it pursues a Covid-zero approach.

The announcement, according to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, means that Australia is “finally again open for business.”

“This is fantastic news for our people and our customers,” he said.

“There are a lot tourism operators in city centers and the regions that have been doing it really tough over the past couple of years and this will see more tourists come to their town, spend money and get local economies going again.

“We will be looking at our schedules to see if we can restart flights from more international destinations sooner or add capacity to those routes we are already flying. We have the flexibility to ramp up flights in response to demand.”

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said: “With travel to Australia on pause for nearly two years, we are excited to be once again welcoming international travelers back to our shores from 21 February 2022 and sharing with them all the incredible experiences that visitors love – from our world-class natural beauty and wildlife, our food and wine, and our welcoming people.

“Australia has long been a popular outbound destination for British travelers, with more than 700,000 traveling to our country annually pre-Covid, and we are really excited that we will have the opportunity to welcome back visitors from the UK, one of our longest standing international markets, as travel resumes.

“Throughout the pandemic Tourism Australia has maintained an active presence to keep Australia top of mind in the market.

“Now, with the reopening of travel from the UK, Tourism Australia will be working with its trade and distribution partners on dedicated marketing campaigns to urge British travelers to come and enjoy all the incredible tourism experiences that await them in Australia.

“We know our trade and distribution partners have been eagerly awaiting the news of our reopening and we look forward to working with them on campaign activity to convert the pent-up desire for our Australia’s tourism offering into travel bookings and visits.”