Australia, finally, opens up to tourists

Australia fully reopened its international borders on Monday to travelers vaccinated against the coronavirus as tourists returned and hundreds of people reunited with family and friends.

More than 50 international flights were expected to reach the country through the day, including 27 touching down in its largest city Sydney, as the tourism and hospitality sectors look to rebuild after getting hammered by COVID-19 restrictions.

Damian McClellan, who runs the ecotourism business Ecotreasures in Sydney, is among the many Australians welcoming the revival of international tourism. He told Xinhua that the past two years had been "catastrophic" for his business.

After being away from loved ones for months, there were many emotional reunions, including Cindy Moss who traveled from the US state of Kentucky to see her daughter.

"I just haven't seen her in so long and it was such a big thing to be able to get over here. So I'm so excited," she said after hugging her daughter, her voice cracking with emotion.

Before the pandemic, Australia's tourism sector was a key driver of economic growth. In the financial year 2018-19, it generated A$60.8 billion ($44 billion), or 3.1 percent of the country's GDP, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The tap for international tourism abruptly went dry as Australia closed its borders in March 2020. In the financial year 2020-21, tourism was nearly cut in half, generating just A$32.4 billion, the lowest level since the financial year 2005-06.

Decision welcomed

Margy Osmond, chief executive of the Tourism & Transport Forum Australia, or TTF, said while the industry welcomes the government's decision, no one expects tourists to come "flooding back".

"Our industry has faced so many challenges over the last two years, but it is renowned for being resilient and I have every faith it will bounce back better and bigger than before," Osmond told China Daily through TTF's media department.

Across the Tasman Sea, Tourism Export Council of New Zealand's chief executive Lynda Keene said: "We hadn't expected Australia to set a date as early as Feb 21, so it's taken us by surprise."

She said in a statement to China Daily: " (Industry) operators …know there is a very high chance New Zealand will lose market share to Australia."

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, said it "greatly welcomed" the Australian move.

"The Asia-Pacific region has been very cautious in its approach to border restrictions so far, but in recent weeks we have seen growing momentum toward relaxation of travel restrictions－in the Philippines, Thailand, and to some extent New Zealand," Philip Goh, IATA's regional vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, said in a statement.

Tim Soutphommasane, a professor of sociology at the University of Sydney, said the reopening of borders meant Australia "can reengage with the world".

But challenges remain, he said.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.