The country sealed itself off because of the corona pandemic, and now Australia is opening up to tourism.
Sydney – After two years of lockdown due to the corona pandemic, Australia has reopened its borders to tourists. Since Monday (February 21, 2022), people from all over the world who have been vaccinated twice have been allowed to enter the country again without having to go into quarantine. “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.”
More than 1.2 million visitors from all parts of the world already have a visa and can therefore come to Australia. By Tuesday (February 22, 2022), 56 international flights are expected at the country’s airports. “That number will continue to rise,” said Premier Morrison.
Australia opens for tourism: Vaccinated people are allowed to enter
As early as December 2021, Australia had already opened the borders for professionals, international students and other eligible visa holders. In addition, there were already travel corridors with New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Japan for fully vaccinated people.
An exception to the requirement for double vaccination is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is also approved despite a required vaccine dose. A booster vaccination is not necessary. This is not currently planned in the future, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison had emphasized. Unvaccinated people, on the other hand, are only allowed to enter Australia with a special permit and must be quarantined upon arrival.
Holidays in Australia: What rules apply when entering the country?
Anyone who enters Australia and has been vaccinated twice now only has to take a corona test within the first 24 hours. Both PCR and antigen tests are permitted. Another thing to note after arriving at the airport is that travelers are not allowed to use public transport to get to their accommodations.
However, different corona rules apply in the different states and territories of Australia, which remain in force. There are different upper limits for international arrivals. Western Australia with the city of Perth will not open the borders until March 3, 2022.
After two years of corona isolation: Australia opens borders for travelers
Tourism is an important industry in Australia. According to Tourism Australia, 9.5 million people came to the country in 2019 to see sights such as the sandstone monolith Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Harbor Bridge or the tropical Top End. They brought about 45 billion Australian dollars into the country.
After the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, Australia reacted with strict corona rules and almost completely closed its borders. 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 the virus. (ms/dpa)
Headline list image: © Dean Lewins / dpa
