After two Years, Australia Reopens to Foreign Tourists

Monday, February 21, 2022

To all double-vaccinated visitors, Australia is finally reopening its international borders, after remaining isolated for two years. Daniel Thomas Tehan, Trade, Tourism, and Investment Minister, spoke to Paul Allen of Bloomberg and explained that he’s quite optimistic about the tourism industry as he can see a quick return of the sector to its previous levels.

On Monday, to travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus, Australia fully reopened its international borders after remaining closed for nearly two years due to pandemic-related closings as tourists returned and hundreds of people were reunited with family and friends.

All through the day, over 50 international flights will reach the country including 27 touching down in Sydney, the largest city of the country, as the tourism and hospitality sectors are set to reconstruct after getting hit by COVID-19 restrictions.

“It is a very exciting day, one that I have been looking forward to for a long time, from the day that I first shut that border right at the start of the pandemic,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in the island state of Tasmania, which relies heavily on tourism.

For months, after staying away from loved ones, there were many emotional reunions, including for Cindy Moss who travelled from the U.S. state of Kentucky to see her daughter.

“I just haven’t seen her in so long and it was such a big thing to be able to get over here. So I’m so excited,” she said after hugging her daughter, her voice cracking with emotion.

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