Australia announced Monday that it would be moving ahead with its plan to reopen its borders to all vaccinated travelers within the month. The reopening will end nearly two years of closure, which has brought the nation's tourism sector to its knees.
The move is expected to revitalize the nation's economy by injecting billions of dollars in earnings from tourism, migration, and increased commerce. Australia's strict COVID-19 measures had helped it control the spread of the virus, resulting in relatively low infection and death rates. The nation ended its stop and start lockdown strategy last year, which had renewed hopes for a full reopening.
COVID-19 cases in Australia have risen sharply in recent weeks, as they have everywhere in the world, due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. New cases and hospitalizations appear to have declined in recent weeks, with more than nine out of ten Australians aged 16 and above now completely vaccinated.
On Monday, the country recorded just over 23,000 new infections, the lowest number since 2022 and well below the peak of 150,000 a month ago. Australia recorded around 200,000 cases and 4,248 deaths since the pandemic began.
Since last year, Australia has made moves to loosen border restrictions, such as allowing skilled migrants in and establishing quarantine-free travel arrangements with select countries such as New Zealand.
The planned reopening, which will take effect on Feb. 21, marks the first time since March 2020 that anyone who is vaccinated from anywhere in the globe can come to Australia without restrictions.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a media briefing that anyone who has been fully vaccinated can now come to Australia. Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Peter Shelley welcomed the decision added that after two years, the nation's tourism industry now finally has a chance to recover fully.
Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond echoed the sentiments, stating that the industry is "thrilled" to finally be welcoming international travelers.
Since the start of the pandemic, international and domestic tourism in the country has lost an estimated $72 billion. Australia's international travel spending fell from $31.66 billion in 2018 to 2019 financial year to $920 million in 2020 to 2021.
Investors hailed the idea of a return to profit growth, sending the stocks of tourism-related companies soaring. Qantas Airways Ltd, the country's largest airline, increased by 5%, while Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd, a travel agency, increased by 8%.
