Reax as Australia opens to international visitors

International tourists and business travellers arrived in Australia with few restrictions on Monday for the first time in almost two years after the government lifted some of the most draconian pandemic measures of any democracy in the world. Tourism Australia officials said they expected tourist numbers would take two years to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

Qantas on Monday was bringing in passengers from eight overseas destinations including Vancouver, Singapore, London, and Delhi. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 1.2 million people had visas to enter Australia with 56 international flights due touchdown in the first 24 hours of the border reopening.

Travelers had to apply for an exemption from the travel ban, but tourism wasn't an accepted reason. International students and skilled migrants were prioritized when the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population. Tourists from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea were also allowed in early.