Many long-distance travelers have been waiting for this day for more than 700 days. Down Under is “Open for Business” again – and attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Opera House in Sydney await international tourists. The Premier has a message for you.
Australia has reopened its borders two years after the country’s corona-related lockdown and has been welcoming tourists from all over the world for the first time since Monday. Visitors who have been vaccinated twice can now take a quarantine-free holiday in the dreamland of many long-distance travellers.
“The wait is over,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “My message to tourists around the world is: pack your bags, come and have one of the greatest experiences imaginable – the experience you’ve been waiting for.”
“Don’t forget to bring your money”
Whether Ayers Rock, Sydney Harbor Bridge, the tropical Top End or the Great Barrier Reef: Australia has unique attractions. According to the Tourism Australia tourist office, 9.5 million visitors came in 2019, bringing around 45 billion Australian dollars (28.5 billion euros) into the coffers. The important industry came to a virtual standstill due to the corona virus. Prime Minister Morrison bluntly called on guests: “Don’t forget to bring your money, because you will find many ways to spend it.”
Passengers greeted with plush kangaroos
The borders of Down Under were closed for 704 days, as Australian media calculated. Hardly any other western country pursued such a strict isolationist strategy. Emotional scenes played out at the airports on Monday. Because not only tourists were eagerly waiting for the opening, many Australians were also separated from relatives and friends abroad for a long time. At the gates, passengers were greeted with plush kangaroos and koalas, flowers and the popular Vegemite spread.
The first plane to land in Sydney in the morning (local time) came from Los Angeles – and united, among other things, the Australian Jodie with her best friend from the USA, as reported by the broadcaster “9News”. The woman had postponed her wedding four times to allow her American boyfriend to attend. Now it should finally be ready in three days.
In Adelaide, in the south of the country, a couple who hadn’t seen each other for two years and had been celebrating their engagement from a distance during that time, hugged each other. “So many tears at Adelaide Airport this morning,” tweeted one reporter. Grandfathers and their grandchildren, mothers and sons, siblings and lovers could finally hug each other again.
The 56 machines that were to land nationwide on the first day came from Canada, South Africa and Great Britain, among others. More than 1.2 million people from all parts of the world already have visas and can come, Morrison said. The media spoke of a “milestone” on the way to the country’s economic recovery.
First opening step in December
Australia opened its borders to professionals, international students and other eligible visa holders in December. In addition, there were already travel corridors with New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan for fully vaccinated people.
An exception to the requirement of double vaccination is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is also approved but only requires one shot. A booster vaccination is not necessary and will not be in the future as things stand, Morrison recently emphasized.
Tourists are now only required to take a PCR or antigen test within the first 24 hours of arrival, and they are not allowed to use public transport from the airport to their accommodation. Unvaccinated people, on the other hand, must apply for an exemption and be quarantined in a hotel after arrival.
Also read about this
► Australia travelers get money back on the working holiday visa
► Do risk areas still scare off travelers?
However, different states and territories have different rules, such as caps on international arrivals. These remain in force. Western Australia with the metropolis of Perth will not open its borders until March 3rd.
Alan Joyce, head of the national airline Qantas, spoke of a “great day for everyone in the tourism industry”. But experts believe it will be a long time before the sector recovers.
Australia largely closed its external borders to international travel in March 2020. Since the start of the pandemic, the country of 25 million people has confirmed around three million cases of infection and more than 4,900 deaths linked to Covid-19.