For the first time in almost two years, Australian borders will soon open to the rest of the world, allowing international tourists to visit the Whitsundays once again and provide much-needed relief to our ailing tourism industry.
On Monday Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement saying that following the soft opening of borders to countries such as New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, he feels confident Australia is ready to officially open international borders from Monday 21st February.
“If you are double vaccinated, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to Australia,” said Mr Morrison.
“I have no doubt that the tourism industry will be looking forward to this and over the next few weeks they will be gearing up to welcome international visitors back to Australia.”
Julie Telford, owner of Red Cat Adventures and one of the Directors of the Tourism Whitsundays board said that she was understandably thrilled that the borders were finally opening.
“It’s been a long time coming and it’s fantastic news for the hospitality and tourism industry,” she said.
“It’s the most exciting news we could have heard after such a tough start to the year – it’s given everyone a sense of relief – light at the end of the tunnel and a way forward for our region.”
International visitors to Queensland will not need to quarantine, they will simply need to take a Covid test within 24 hours of arriving and they must self-isolate until they receive a result.
RAT tests will be accepted.
A state-based arrival cap could be put in place and the Queensland Government is currently in discussion about how this will be implemented over the coming weeks.
According to Flight Centre the tourists most likely to enter the country in large quantities will be from the UK, USA, Canada and Europe.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces international borders will re-open from February 21 (image: ABC)
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