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A SURPRISING MOVE CAUSES A WAVE OF JOYFUL REACTION FROM THE PUBLIC
Earlier, the press had been buzzing with reports that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison might announce a decision to fully reopen Australia's borders by Easter, April 17th. Now, the decision, personally announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on February 7th, with an opening date nearly two months earlier than expected, has caused a wave of welcome, especially from businesses and those in the tourism industry.
“If you have received both doses of the vaccine, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia,” said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) at a press conference in Canberra on February 7, after announcing the decision to reopen the borders. (Photo: republicworld)
This move is seen as opening the door to ending nearly two years of hardship for the tourism industry, helping to revive the influx of skilled immigrant workers and injecting billions of dollars into Australia's economy, the world's 13th largest.
The reopening, effective from February 21st, marks the first time since March 2020 (when Australia closed its borders due to Covid-19) that travelers from around the world can enter Australia, provided they have been vaccinated.
The latest figures reported on February 7th were over 23,000 new infections – the lowest level since the beginning of 2022 and still a considerable distance from the record 150,000 cases about a month ago. (Image: businesstraveller)
Specifically, according to this new decision, from February 21st, international tourists who have received two doses of the vaccine will be exempt from quarantine upon arrival in most Australian states. They only need a negative PCR test result taken three days before their flight, or a supervised rapid test 24 hours before departure. However, Western Australia, still pursuing a "zero Covid" strategy, is expected to maintain the 14-day quarantine requirement to limit the number of tourists entering from overseas.
PROSPECTUS FOR SAFE TOURISM FOR BOTH LOCALS AND TOURISTS
Previously, Australia had begun implementing a phased reopening plan, initially allowing skilled workers and international students to enter from December 2021, provided they had received two doses of the vaccine.
Regulars have dinner on October 22, 2021, at a bar near Sydney Harbour, after Australia began easing travel restrictions. (Photo: Reuters)
Like many other countries around the world, the number of Covid-19 cases in Australia has recently increased due to the emergence of the new Omicron variant. However, with over 90% of people aged 16 and over being fully vaccinated, the number of new infections and deaths tends to stabilize.
Given this reality, Prime Minister Scott Morrison clarified that the decision to reopen was made amidst the emergence of the new Omicron variant in Australia. Therefore, tourists who have received two doses of the vaccine will not pose any greater risk to Australian residents. On the other hand, according to former Australian health official Dr. Nick Coatsworth, the high vaccination rate also means that allowing international tourists to return to Australia is safe.
Prior to Covid-19, Australia welcomed approximately 9.4 million international tourists in 2019. The tourism sector contributed US$60 billion to the Australian economy and created jobs for 660,000 in the 2018-2019 financial year.
But since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia's losses in both domestic and international tourism have reached A$101.7 billion – equivalent to US$72 billion. Spending by international tourists in Australia also fell from A$44.6 billion (2018-2019) to A$1.3 billion (2020-2021) – according to Tourism Research Australia (TRA – an agency that provides tourism data and analysis, forming the basis for the Government's tourism policy development).
