What does it mean?
Unless you’ve been hiding out the back o’ Bourke, you’ve probably already heard that the Australian government is flinging the gates open once again.
This news comes after nearly 2 years of lockdowns, travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding what the heck is going on. So as you can imagine… we’re pretty bloody excited. But alas, there are a few things you need to know before you melt the credit cards in a flight booking frenzy.
In this article, curated by your good mates at Uptown Pokies, we review the details surrounding Australia’s reopening of international travel borders.
Borders will reopen come November
It’s been confirmed that Australia will open borders once again starting in November. This comes as welcome news to everyone who has been stranded or who has had loved ones stranded either in Australia or overseas.
Our prime minister Scott Morrison said that “It’s time to give Australians their lives back” in a recent press conference. He also backed this statement by announcing that we’re eligible to travel when our state’s vaccination rate hits 80%.
As for foreigners wanting to visit Australia, plans have not been drawn up just yet, but they’re in the process of welcoming tourists back to Australian shores mid to late next year.
Travelers still need to be flexible when flying
Of course, the world has changed forever due to recent events.
Air travel will now require a little bit of flexibility (and no small amount of patience) from anyone who wants to jet overseas or return to Australian shores.
Higher-ups from Qantas predict that there will be teething problems at first. Namely due to the juggling of local quarantine rules in different countries and stipulations regarding masks, visors etc. on planes.
As the world becomes more and more vaccinated though, we can enjoy more freedoms when it comes to flying.
Some destinations will remain off limits
Despite all this good news, it does come with a caveat – not all destinations will be travel-friendly once flights resume and borders open.
At this point in time, Qantas is only planning flights to countries deemed “safe”. This includes the United States, Japan, Canada, Fiji and the United Kingdom.
There will also be trans-Tasman flights between Australia and New Zealand from mid-December onwards and flights to Hong Kong pencilled in for early next year.
That being said, there’s nothing that says you can’t fly onwards from these countries to other travel destinations. For example, you could fly to the United Kingdom then head on down to Europe for bulk pasta in Italy, ein bier in Germany or a hunk of stinky cheese in France… if that’s your thing.
We’re going to be hit hard and fast with tourists in 2022
Another effect of borders reopening is the resumption of international tourism.
As we said earlier, the Australian government is taking a slow and steady approach to the welcoming of overseas visitors. But one thing’s for sure… when they do come, they’re going to be flocking to Oz like moths to a flame.
Some pundits are even saying that the allure of Australia will be even more valuable once restrictions are lifted. This could be true, given that many holiday destinations in Australia have experienced a surge in new homebuyers due to people adopting a more stress-free way of living and the broader acceptance of remote working.
Could Australia become the “vacation hotspot” for the rest of the world post-pandemic? Only time (and property prices) will tell.
Australians can return home in time for Christmas
Finally… friends, family and relatives can return home to Oz just in time for Christmas.
This is probably the best bit of news for Aussies stranded overseas. Some of whom have been stuck in countries for years without the possibility of returning to our sunny shores and wide-open spaces. It really will be a kodak moment for many people coming through the arrival gate at airports around the country.
On behalf of everyone at Uptown Pokies, we can’t wait for this day to come if you are one of these individuals or families who’ve been hunkering down on distant shores.
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