Australia fully reopened its borders to travellers vaccinated against the Covid-19 after keeping it shut for nearly two years. Over 50 international flights will reach the country through the day as the tourism and hospitality sectors will restore. “It is a party out here, music playing, smiles on people’s faces, they will be dancing soon,” Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said.

Tehan said there would be a strong comeback in the tourism market with flights to fly over 14,000 passengers into Australia this week. Tourism is one of Australia’s biggest industries, worth more than A$60 billion and employs about 5 per cent of the country’s workforce. “This is a critical day for our industry, and the first, but most important, is getting Australian tourism recovered,” Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Peter Shelley said. As borders fully reopen, Australia’s outbreak of the Omicron variant seems to have passed its peak, with hospital admissions decreasing rapidly in the past three weeks.